A PewdieCry Fanfiction
by TomFlemming
Summary: Felix Kjellburg is starting his first year at Golden Wings College when he befriends a boy named Cry who wears a ceramic mask to hide his face. Felix and Cry are inexplicably drawn together, as if by the hands of fate. But is fate strong enough to keep them together when so much is working against them?
1. Chapter 1

**A Pewdiecry Fanfiction.**

Inspired by Mocha2Latte's "Pewdie the Bully."

_**Disclaimer**_

_Okay, I just want to clarify that all the YouTubers that make appearances in this (or any) of my fanfictions are not based on the real people. If any of said YouTubers happen upon any of my fanfictions, I apologise if they dislike the way I have portrayed them, or if they dislike the use of their real names. However, this is a _Fanfiction:_ A fanmade, fictional story with a central theme of one or more fandoms. The key word there is fiction. Every element of my fanfictions are 100% fictional, and I have never (and never will) claim that my characters reflect their real life counterparts, nor are their pasts or current lives reflective of what the real people have gone through. I apologise if I cause offence to any of you; I think you deserve the utmost respect for what you do. I admire all of you greatly, and I'll forever be grateful for all the difficult times you've gotten me through with you YouTube videos. There is no reason, however, to take offense to my writing, as none of it is based on the real you; everything I write is original._

_Thank you_

_~ Tom Flemming_

_**Author's Note:**_

_Although this fanfic is inspired by Mocha's fanfic, it isn't going to be similar to the extent that it's a copy. I think copying someone's ideas is wrong. Mocha simply inspired me to start writing again, and she also gave me the basis for my own story; the high school setting._

_A quick reminder: I am Australian, so my spelling and stuff will be different than usual for a lot of you. While my story is set in America, I won't be changing the way I type to match American English. It's too much of a hassle. However I will try to avoid using Australian slang and will convert measurements (metres to feet, Celsius to Fahrenheit, etc.) to avoid confusion. Also I couldn't find out what Red's real name is, so I made it up. She's going to be called Tamara. I'm sorry if you don't like that name *love heart*_

_Anywho, enough of my blabbing. I really hope you enjoy my story :) I will hopefully be updating it two or three times a week, as this is all I can manage. (I'm busy with school and stuff x_x blah.) So yeah, enjoy!_

**Chapter One**

**Cry's POV**

_I hate heat_, I thought as I adjusted my ceramic mask. It was a sticky 98 degree day and my face was sheened with sweat. Recess had just ended and I was making my way to my next class with my friends, Tamara and Russ. It was the first day of year eleven, the last two periods. Maths. God damn it.

We eventually reached the classroom and took seats. Tam leapt to sit with Russ as she always did, so I was left with the only empty desk. Even though they were dating, and had been for almost two years, it still upset me sometimes that that neither of them thought to keep me company.

I sighed and took my seat. Our teacher, Mr England had already written up the day's work on the chalkboard and almost everyone was getting stuck into it. I sighed and grudgingly followed suit. I'd never been good with maths or numbers in general. They always got jumbled up in my head and I had to study hard to get anywhere with it.

I was concentrating on a particularly difficult problem when I noticed someone sit down beside me. Thinking it was Russ I thrust my paper at him.

"How the hell do you do—" I trailed off midsentence. It wasn't Russ. I mentally kicked myself as the boy next to me stared at my mask bewilderedly.

"S-sorry." I stammered, "I thought you were my friend." The boy's face softened and he gave me small smile. He was a good looking guy. He had bright, crystalline blue eyes, shaggy, dirty blonde hair, and a lopsided smile.

"That's okay," He replied, and I couldn't help but smile back at him. I also noticed that he had a distinct accent. I asked him where he was from.

"Sweden," He said cheerfully. "My name is Felix. What's yours?" He held out his hand for me to shake.

"I'm Cry." I shook his hand. I was surprised to find that his hands were quite soft, though his grip was firm. I noticed a flicker of surprise in his eyes at my strange name, and my cheeks went pink under my mask.

Felix dismissed his surprise and looked at my paper as he took out his own books.

"What are you having trouble with?" He asked. I frowned and looked down at my page.

"All of it." I sulked, "I can't do calculus." Felix smiled and chuckled. He had a nice laugh, almost musical.

"Here, let me give you a hand." He said.

**Pewdie's POV**

I had no idea where I was going and I was running late. It was my first day at this school and I was going to get a detention simply because I couldn't find my classes! I'd barely gotten to my last class in time before the teacher locked the door. This school was just so _big_! It was hard to find anything. My old school was so much smaller…

I shook my head in exasperation as I raced down the quickly emptying corridors, trying to find the G block. As I rounded a corner I caught a glimpse of gold and a black t-shirt before I crashed headlong into someone, knocking us both to the ground. My cheeks burned as I picked myself up and mumbled sorry. I was rushing to help him pick up his books and papers when I heard a familiar voice.

"Pewdie?" Stephano exclaimed.

I grinned broadly and stood up to hug my old friend.

"I was wondering when I'd run into you." I said, my bad mod lifting.

"When were you going to tell me you were coming here?" He demanded, noticing my college blazer. "I thought you said you were moving back to Sweden."

"I said my parents are moving back to Sweden." I laughed. "I never said I was. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well this is definitely a surprise! So where are you headed?"

"I don't really know… G-12." Stephano smiled and put his arm around my shoulders to lead me down the hall.

"Don't worry, bro. I'll show you the way. Piggeh and Cher will be excited to see you." He grinned at me.

"I'm excited to see them too!" I replied.

…

…

Stephano left me at the classroom, telling me to meet him where we crashed into one another the next morning. I entered the classroom, relieved that it wasn't yet locked, and searched the room for an empty seat. There was one left next to a brown haired boy wearing a mask. I frowned, sure I was about to be stuck with the weird kid, and took a seat next to him. Before I could do anything else, the boy thrust his paper at me and said,

"How the hell do you do—" He cut himself off abruptly when he looked at me. "S-sorry! I thought you were my friend." He seemed really flustered, so I smiled at him. It seemed to calm him down a bit.

"That's okay." I said. He tilted his head inquisitively.

"You're not from here, are you?" He asked. I smirked. He'd picked up on my accent. I told him I'm from Sweden and introduced myself.

"I'm Cry." He shook my hand and I could sense he was smiling beneath his mask. Yep, he was definitely the weird kid. I decided not to comment on his name, I was sure he'd been asked a multitude of times before. Instead I got out my books and had a look at his paper.

"What are you having trouble with?" I asked gently. His shoulders tensed a little and he looked down at his page.

"All of it. I can't do calculus." I smiled and laughed at his forlorn tone of voice.

"Let me give you a hand." I grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note**_

_I'm changing Xavier's name to Andrew. I used to like Xavier, but it doesn't really suit him in my opinion._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Two**

**Cry's POV**

As we were leaving class I noticed that Felix was looking a bit lost, so I invited him to walk back to the lockers with me and my friends. Tam and Russ both seemed to like him, though I'm pretty sure Tam just thought he was hot. Which I guess he was. Now that he was standing I saw that he was a couple of inches taller than me and slightly broader across the shoulders. He had an athletic build, and he looked very good in the navy blue school blazer and khaki shorts. I blushed deeply when I realised I was checking him out, grateful that my mask covered it up.

We made our way back to the year twelve locker and got our stuff. Tam, Russ and Elizabeth left in a hurry because they had to catch a bus home, but I met up with my friend Scott and we hung around a bit, chatting. By the time I left the school it was just off 4 o'clock. I was walking towards the school gates when I noticed Felix sitting alone on a bench in the parking lot. Puzzled, I wandered over to him.

"Hi, Felix," I said, putting my bag on the seat next to him and leaning on the arm. "What're you still doing here?"

"Hey Cry. I'm waiting. I was supposed to catch a ride home with my neighbour but… I guess she forgot about me." He sighed and stared out at the empty parking lot. I sat down next to him and studied his profile. He looked really sad…

"How far away do you live?" I asked. Felix turned to face me.

"Aberdeen Street." That was across town. Too far to walk.

"Hmm. Well, how about we walk to my place and my mum can give you a lift home when she finishes work?" Felix's face lit up immediately.

"That'd be great, Cry." He grinned.

"Okay." I smiled back. "Let's get going, it's way too hot out here." Felix grunted in agreement and we left the school.

…

…

On the way home I learned a bit about Felix. He was a gamer, like me. He was originally from Sweden but he'd lived in America since he was 11. He was a straight A student in pretty much everything but biology because he was too squeamish to do dissections. He lived alone in his apartment because his sisters and parents had moved back to Sweden almost two months ago. When I asked him why he'd stayed he just shrugged and looked away. I decided not to push him for answers.

My mum was still at work when we got to my house so I told Felix to make himself at home while I got us a snack. I found a bag of chips and put some in a bowl for us. Setting it down on the bench I filled up and set the kettle to boil for some coffee and yelled out to Felix, "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Uh… Do you have any tea?"

"Is plain okay? We don't have anything special."

"Yeah, that's fine." I took two mugs out of the cupboard and made up my coffee. I put a teabag in Felix's mug and realised I didn't ask how he liked his tea. I was about to call out to him when he appeared next to me, scaring the living daylights out of me.

"Sorry." He chuckled. "I have milk and two sugars."

"A-alright." I stammered, pouring boiled water into both our mugs. I put the milk away and took a sip of my coffee. I breathed in reflexively as it burned my mouth. Bad idea. I choked and started coughing violently. I set down my coffee, almost spilling it, and tore off my mask to gulp down some cold water from the tap. I rubbed my throat and swallowed painfully. _Idiot_, I thought. _Felix must think you're a retard. _I turned to face him and smiled apologetically, coughing a little bit. He was staring at me with surprise, his eyebrows raised and his striking blue eyes studying my face. My face! My eyes widened and I covered my face with my hand, hurriedly tying my mask back on. Felix kept staring at me. I stood there awkwardly, trying not to look at him. We stayed that way for a few moments until Felix opened his mouth to speak. He was cut off, however, by the front door banging open, making me jump, and my mum and brother walking in.

"Hey, sweetie." Mum said as she walked into the kitchen, her arms heaping with grocery bags. My little brother Andrew was in tow holding a jumbo pack of toilet tissue. She stopped when she noticed Felix. "Who's this?" She smiled warmly and Felix introduced himself. I blushed deeply, still in shock that I let Felix see my face.

**Pewdie's POV **

Cry's mum wasn't home when we got there. Cry told me to make myself at home and went to find us some food. I stood awkwardly in the entrance for a few moments, unsure of what to do. I put my bag down next to Cry's, deciding to wander around a bit. I found a lounge room first. It was quite big, with a long, off-white, L-shaped couch in one corner and a huge at-home cinema system on the opposite wall. I wandered down a short hallway and discovered a small bathroom and a glass sliding door that led to a patio in his backyard. The yard was beautiful. The grass was a vibrant green and the various garden beds were dotted with bright flowers and hedges. There was tall, multi-coloured jungle gym next to a sandbox near the back fence, and a trampoline in front of the patio. _Cry must have a younger sibling… Unless he plays on all that himself. _I chuckled to myself and made my way back to the lounge room where Cry called out to me, asking if I would like anything to drink. I answered him and picked up one of the five remotes on the coffee table. It was a lot more complicated than it looked; it had a touch pad and everything. I frowned and put it back. There wasn't much else to do, so I decided to join Cry in the kitchen, remembering I hadn't told him how I liked my tea. I wandered up behind him, accidentally scaring him. He jumped violently and I couldn't help but laugh. He made our drinks and went to put the milk away, and I gently blew over my tea. It was still too hot to drink. Cry adjusted his mask so his mouth was exposed and had a sip of his coffee. Suddenly he started gasping and coughing; my eyes widened as he ripped off his mask and stuck his head under the tap. I wondered if he was okay, his drink must've been too hot. He straightened and turned to face me, wincing and rubbing his throat. I knew I shouldn't stare – he wore that mask for a reason, whatever it may be - but I couldn't help myself.

Cry was gorgeous. Without the mask his chocolate brown hair fell perfectly over his forehead, the slight waves setting off the natural highlights. His big, stony grey eyes, usually shaded by his mask, sparkled in the light, his long, dark lashes making them look even brighter. He had a straight nose that turned up slightly at the tip, and his lips were full and pink. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He smiled apologetically and I noticed that his teeth were perfect too. We gazed at one another for a few moments before Cry's gorgeous eyes widened and rushed to put his mask back on, covering his face with one hand and hurriedly tying it on. Suddenly I wondered why wore his mask. He couldn't possibly be ashamed of his looks… The possibility of something happening to make him hide his face made worry that I could not explain tie a knot in my stomach. I watched Cry carefully as he fastened the ties on his mask and stood awkwardly before me. He looked as if he wanted to disappear.

I was about to break the uncomfortable silence between us when a door banged open and a woman and young boy came into the house.

"Hey, sweetie! How was your day?" The woman – whom I assumed was Cry's mother – asked him as she came into the kitchen, grocery bags hanging from her arms. A young boy stood behind her. She paused when she saw me. "Who's this?" She smiled warmly and, seeing that Cry was making no move to reply, I introduced myself.

While his mum was unpacking the groceries, Cry managed to regain his composure.

"Hey mum, can we give Felix a lift home? His ride bailed on him."

"Oh, you poor dear," She said, making me smirk a little. She was a textbook mum. "I can take you in an hour or so when I go out again."

"That'd be great Ms…" I trailed off, realising I'd never gotten Cry's last name.

"Terry." She finished, smiling. "Sandra Terry." I smiled back at Sandra. Cry glanced at me nervously and gestured for me to follow him. He picked up the bowl of chips and his coffee and I tailed him into the lounge room. We sat down on the couch and he began to flick through the channels. I glanced at him and gauchely sipped at my tea. _I should've looked away, _I thought guiltily, _He obviously doesn't want anyone to see his face… _I stared at the floor, half wondering how I should apologise, half wondering why he had his mask.

"Cry, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"Don't worry about it," He cut me off midsentence. "It's no big deal." I gazed at him sceptically.

"If you say so." I eventually sighed.

We settled back to watch some T.V and, as we chatted about the shows and school and stuff, we both grew a lot more comfortable. By the time Cry's mum was ready to take me home it was almost as if the incident with his mask had never happened.

When I got to my room - apartment 1503, near the top of my building - I was grinning like a madman. I really liked Cry, he was funny and witty, and he could take what he dished out. He was also a little shy, however, and he could be quite sweet. I sighed happily and plonked myself down on my couch. I blushed a bit, thinking about how attractive Cry was under that mask… I'd never questioned my sexuality before; I'd never had any reason to… But I had a crush on Cry. A big one. I knew I wasn't gay, but could I be bi?

…

…

…

Yes, I could.

I was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Cry's POV**

I took off my mask and laid down on my bed, sighing. We'd just dropped Felix home and mum had dropped me back home too before she went to see her friend. I'd really enjoyed hanging out with Felix today. He'd told me about his friends from Golden Wings, and decided he wanted me to meet them that week at school. We traded stories and misadventures until we took him home.

I couldn't get over the way Felix had looked at me when my mask was off. I bit my lip nervously; _I wonder what he was thinking… _I found myself hoping that whatever the reason was it was a good thing. I really liked Felix; he was such a nice guy… And he was so cute, kind of rugged with his shaggy hair and light stubble. It made me weak at the knees when he flashed that slightly askew grin at me. I smiled to myself, thoughts of my new friend running through my head. I'd known him for less than 24 hours and I had a crush on him… I mentally scolded myself for letting my feelings get out of hand. I was usually quite guarded, and it was very hard for people to get close to me. It took Russ a long time to break through my anti-social tendencies and actually become my friend. That was almost six years ago now.

…

…

I was lost in thought when I got to class the next day. I'd just met Felix's friends and they all seemed pretty cool. I had a nervous knot in the pit of my stomach that they didn't like me, even though Felix had assured me they did. I took a seat next to a random girl – her name was Tori or something – and stared into space. I was totally zoned out when Felix sat down next to me. He grinned at me and I blushed. I stammered a hello as our teacher handed out the assignment sheets. I hadn't realised he was in this class, I didn't think he would be after hearing about his fear of dissections.

We all got to work when our teacher finished explaining our assignments. We were to choose four scientists from the list she gave us and write reports on their contributions to biology. It was due in two weeks and it was all to be done out of class – we'd be starting prac classes next lesson. I saw Felix wince when she said that.

After school Felix and I parted ways – we were both busy that night – and we arranged to meet the next day after school to go to my house. I was grinning like an idiot as I made my way home, I'd be spending a lot of time with Felix over the next two weeks.

**Pewdie's POV**

I met Stephano at the corner where we'd crashed into each other the next morning before class started. Piggeh and Cher were with him and, after a happy reunion with my old friends; I followed them to their usual spot in a courtyard beneath a large oak tree. We all settled around 'their' picnic table and got to talking. I hadn't seen Piggeh or Cher in almost six months so we had a lot to talk about.

Our catch up carried over into periods one and two when we discovered we all had chemistry together. We were loud and obnoxious enough to get ourselves split up, our teacher sending us to different corners of the room. That didn't stop us however, we improvised and created a paper plane courier system, and it wasn't long before paper planes were flying around everywhere. Our teacher was screeching at the entire class as more and more people joined in. We left the class with threats of detention being hurled at our backs, but no one was worried. Apparently she never followed through with that sort of stuff.

Cry found the four of us sitting at our usual spot at recess. Piggeh had demanded I introduce them all to Cry, and Cry had been too nervous to refuse. I had been talking about him all morning and I'm sure they suspected my crush. Stephano and I were chatting about a new horror game that we both wanted to play when my Cry approached. Piggeh leapt off the table and bounded up to him, grinning excitedly.

"Cry!" He exclaimed. "I'm Piggeh! It's so cool to finally meet you."

"You're name is… Piggeh?" Cry asked uncertainly. He seemed a little overwhelmed by Piggeh's enthusiasm. I smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's just a nickname." I explained.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm a fatty." Piggeh tried to jiggle his belly with his hands but failed miserably. He was anything but fat; he was almost six feet tall and painfully skinny. His ribs were visible despite the colossal amount of food he ate. "My real name is Daniel."

"And I'm Stephano." My Arabic friend grinned and sat down next to me. Piggeh climbed onto the table and laboriously crossed his legs, groaning loudly in complaint. Cher, who had been sitting behind the guys, was trying to stay out of sight, hiding her face under the bill of her snapback.

"Hey dork," I said gently, "Introduce yourself." She blushed and glanced at Cry.

"I'm Cher." She mumbled, a frightened look on her face.

"Wha- I'm sorry, did you say your name is Chair..?" Stephano, Piggeh and I cracked up laughing, and Cher turned bright red.

"N-no, my name is –"

"Chair! Oh my god!" Piggeh almost fell off the table laughing.

"Hey name is _Cher_." Stephano cried through a fit of laughter.

"I-I am so sorry." Cry stammered, wide-eyed.

"I am so calling you Mr Chair from now on." Stephano was almost crying. Cher glared at him venomously.

"I am a woman!" She growled vehemently. "And I'm not a chair!" Stephano just laughed harder. She scowled and he winked cheekily at her. Cry had his face in his hands. Piggeh was on the ground cackling. I thought Cry was going to fit in very well with my friends.

…

…

After recess we all walked back to the lockers to get our stuff for next class. Cry's locker was on the other side of the corridor, and I quickly lost sight of him in the crowd of students when we parted ways.

"So what have we all got next period?" Stephano asked, swinging his locker door shut, his arms piled with books. Piggeh and Cher both had psychology, which Stephano teasingly declared was not a real science. Stephano and I had biology. My stomach turned at the mere thought of dissecting something, but I needed bio to get into my course at college.

As we headed of for class I was fervently hoping we didn't jump straight into prac work this lesson. Once everyone had filed into the classroom and taken seats our teacher announced that he'd be assigning lab partners today, and that we'd be paired with said partners for the whole year. I couldn't help but laugh a little when he said Stephano would be paired with Katie Flemming; he hated her. He'd often complained about how bland and whiny she was last year when they shared and English class. His expression dropped into an intense frown as he gathered up his books and moved to sit with her. I was still laughing to myself when I heard my name get read out.

"Kjellburg and Terry." A grin broke out on my face, I didn't know Cry was in this class. I looked around the room to see where he was sitting and found him sitting alone a few rows back. I plonked my books down on the table top and sat down beside him.

Cry jumped slightly and greeted me with a friendly, if slightly awkward hello. I guessed he was still a little uncomfortable after yesterday, like he wasn't sure how to act. The teacher handed out our first assignment, and I was relieved to see it was theory. She told us it was due in two weeks, and this was the only lesson we'd get to do it in class. I grinned at my new lab partner; we'd be spending a lot of time together in the next couple of weeks.

**Two Weeks Later**

"There! We're finally finished." I saved the file and closed my laptop. "We'll print them off at school tomorrow." I grinned and relaxed back onto Cry's couch. The reports had taken a lot longer than we thought they would, I'd spent almost every day at Cry's after school and a few hours on the weekend. I wasn't complaining though, it had been fun despite the work. I had become pretty good friends with Cry since we'd met; he was even hanging out with me at school now.

Cry grinned and his grey eyes flashed as the sunlight filtered through the eyeholes in his mask, making my heart skip a beat. My feelings for Cry had only grown stronger the more time we'd spent together. Every time he came near me stomach did flips and my breath caught in my throat. He shifted uncomfortably and I realised I was staring at him. Again.

"S-sorry." I stammered, blushing.

"It's okay." He laughed. "Hey, when do I get to see your house?" The question caught me off guard. "We always come to my house to study and stuff. When will we go to yours?" He slid his mask up a little bit to munch on some chips.

"Uh, how about this weekend? I'll invite the others and we'll watch some movies or something." Cry grinned at me and my stomach was attacked by butterflies, I loved his smile – even though I only saw it partially when he ate.

"Awesome! Sounds good." He said happily. I couldn't help but smile back at him, his smile was so contagious. I bit my lip in anticipation, one thought running circles in my head. I felt like a love struck dweeb, but I couldn't care less. My heart was beating like mad and my stomach was swirling with butterflies. Cry was coming over!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note**_

_Hey bros! This chapter has got some pretty large plot changes, so I'd recommend rereading it if you aren't a newcomer :)_

_And Straycat113, I was thinking about getting beta readers, but because of the plot changes I'm making I'd rather do it myself this time. I think I'd probably combust if I had other people editing the plot for me haha. If I ever need to edit something again, however I'll consider betas._

**Chapter Four**

**Cry's POV**

I got out of the taxi, paid my fare, and turned to look at Felix's building. It was huge, at least fifteen storeys high. I checked my messages; Felix lived in apartment 1503, near the top. I walked over to the intercom thing by the door and punched in the number Felix had given me to reach his room. I stood awkwardly for a moment until his voice came on over the intercom.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Felix, it's me." I said.

"Cry? Hey, I'll buzz you up." I jumped as the intercom crackled and the door unlocked. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed my surprise and quickly entered the building. I adjusted my duffel bag strap on my shoulder and hurried towards the elevator across the lobby. When I was in I scanned the buttons for floor fifteen and hit it.

"Wait! Hold the elevator!" I grabbed the door and a girl slipped into the elevator beside me. She smiled at me shyly and pressed the button for the ninth floor. "Ah, thank you!" She panted. I smiled back at her, she was very pretty. She had long, golden brown hair and tanned skin. She was quite skinny, she had brown eyes, and was wearing soft pink lipstick.

"No worries. I'm Cry." She looked at me sceptically, as if judging my worth, and shook my hand.

"I'm Marzia." She said as we got to her floor and she bounced out of the elevator. "It was nice to meet you." She smiled and waved as the doors closed.

It didn't take long to find Felix's place when I reached his floor. I knocked and stood uncomfortably in the hall, waiting. Felix opened the door and grinned widely at me.

"Hey, Cry. Come in. The others aren't here yet. They should show up in a couple hours though." He led me down a hallway to the kitchen. "Just dump your stuff anywhere." He said, gesturing at the floor. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I suppose." I sat my bag next to bar stool and sat across from Felix. "This is a nice place." I said, looking around appreciatively. It was big too. The kitchen managed to be both spacious and cosy at the same time. It was very modern, with black polished marble bench tops and smooth, white cabinets that opened by pressing them, while the dining table and chairs and the barstools had an almost rustic look. The two elements complicated each other well.

"Thanks, it was a pretty good find. It's great here." Felix grinned and handed me a bowl of chips. "Come one, I'll show my cave." He wiggled his fingers at me mysteriously and walked down the hall to a large room with an impressive set up of consoles, TV screens and a large couch. In one corner there was a desk set up with three large screens and a Cosmos II tower beneath it. On the opposite wall there was a large, flat screen TV with a bunch of consoles arrayed in the unit below it. There were all the PlayStation consoles, both Xboxes, a WiiU, an N64, a Super Nintendo, a GameCube… Even a SNES! I noticed the TV also had surround sound. I whistled in admiration and Felix grinned at me.

"Jesus, Felix." I exclaimed. "Who are you?" He laughed and sat down on the couch in the middle of the room

"So what do you want to do?" He asked. I suggested we play that horror game we'd talked about last week. Felix agreed and we went and sat in front of the three big monitors on his desk. Felix opened the game and clicked start.

The word PESADELO came up on the monitor and we both grinned in anticipation.

"Okay, how about I control the movement and you control the view?" I suggested. Felix agreed and we eagerly began to play. Neither of us spoke Portuguese – it was a Brazilian game – so we just guessed at everything. Eventually we started a generator thing and a timer appeared at the top of the screen. Nothing scary had happened yet, but the atmosphere was really creepy. I couldn't help but notice how close Felix and I were, shoulders and knees touching as we played. In the game we climbed onto a railroad platform and walked towards a door. Suddenly a horrifying zombie appeared out of nowhere right in front of us. We both screamed and I backed away from it as Felix whirled the mouse around in an attempt to escape its evil clutches. We ran across the platform and into a hallway only to realise there was a dead end around the corner. Felix turned us around and we rounded a corner to come face to face with the monster! Both of us screamed as it attached us and the screen went red. A **GAME OVER** screen appeared and we just stared at it for a few minutes, breathing heavily.

"Fucking hell…" I breathed. Felix nodded and I turned to look at him, only to realise I couldn't see properly. I must've knocked my mask askew when I grabbed onto Felix. I sighed heavily and straightened it up, lifting it a little bit to free up my mouth.

"Hey, Cry?" Felix murmured nervously.

"Y-yeah, Felix?" I replied, my heart still racing from the game. Felix gave me a weak smile and straightened in his chair. He cleared his throat and said softly, "I don't know why you wear that mask. You really don't need to. You're…" He trailed off and I looked up at him, wide eyed and baffled.

"I'm… what?" I asked in a small voice, butterflies hurtling around in my stomach. Felix averted his eyes, concentrating on his hands and fiddling with his thumb nail. I reflexively pulled my mask down so it was hiding my face entirely as the silence stretched out and my nervousness grew. Felix took a deep breath, as if to steel himself, and focused his gaze on me.

"You, er… you're really… you're a good looking guy, Cry." He stammered.

"Wha-" I dropped my gaze automatically, a million thoughts running through my head. I looked up at Felix, my mouth hanging open in surprise. He gazed back me shyly, my heart sped up; he was so cute when he was nervous.

"You really are, Cry." He said quietly. "I kinda think you're…" He bit his lip nervously. "I think you're gorgeous. I have ever since I first saw your face." He looked back at his hands as he said this. My mouth fell open in shock, and I turned bright red. I stared wide-eyed at Felix. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I couldn't move my mouth. I wanted to leap forward and kiss the amazing Swede sitting across from me but my anxiety had me frozen solid. We sat in silence for a few minutes, the eerie music of the game droning in the background. Eventually I came out of shock. I swallowed dryly and wet my lips.

"I really, uh… really like you. Like… a lot." He murmured, still sounding as if his lungs were trembling.

"Felix, I–" We both jumped violently as someone knocked on the door loudly, shattering the quiet.

"Pewdie, we're here!" Piggeh yelled from the outside hallway. "Let us in!" Felix glanced at me nervously and went to answer the door.

I sighed heavily and stared after him, wondering what would happen now, silently cursing Piggeh's timing.

**Pewdie's POV**

I stalked down the hallway and opened the front door, trying not to glare at my friends.

"Hey, bros." I said, gesturing for them to come in. "You have the worst possible timing by the way."

"How so?" Stephano asked as he strode past me down the hallway.

"Don't even worry about it." I muttered. I closed the door and followed my friends into my games room.

Stephano had turned on the WiiU and he and Cher were playing Wario Smooth Moves. Cry was sitting on the couch behind them laughing as they failed the challenges, bickering playfully about whose fault it was. He still had his mask on. I frowned; he really didn't need to wear it. I sat down next to him and grabbed some chips from the bowl he was holding. He glanced at me fleetingly, and his eyes glittering in the light.

We spent the next few hours playing random games like Wario, ZombiU, Mario Party, and Crash Team Racing – which Cry was a pro at, he never lost a race or a battle. At about 9pm I pushed the couch towards the back wall and we dragged in some mattresses for us all the sleep on. I also grabbed all the pillows and blankets I could find, and we all settled in to watch some scary movies. My friends all chose their spots first, leaving a space for Cry and I to sit next to each other. Stephano winked at me as I sat down next to Cry, I rolled my eyes and settled in under the blankets to watch the first movie.

Piggeh bounced in excitement as the movie started.

"I'm pumped!" He whispered loudly.

We all laughed as the opening credits for the movie finished and it started properly. Cry nudged me and leaned over to whisper, "Does it matter that I've never seen the first movie?"

"No, it sort of tells you what happened. The main character from the last film is her sister." I gestured towards the girl on the screen. Cry nodded and leaned back into his spot. We were watching Return to House on Haunted Hill. It was about an old haunted asylum – a real gore fest. Piggeh and I were the only ones who had seen it, and it was one of his favourite horror movies.

As the movie progressed and the jump scares started becoming more frequent, Cry moved a little closer to me. When I laid back down after piling my pillows up behind me to get more comfortable he was less than a foot away. I blushed deeply and tried to concentrate on the movie rather than the painfully attractive man lying beside me.

When the movie finished Stephano and Piggeh cheered and applauded, and Cher got up to put on the next film.

"What crazy bad indie film do you have for us tonight, Mr Chair?" Stephano teased as she started it up. She scowled and poked her tongue out at him, and he winked at her.

"It's not bad." She argued. "It's about the Greek god, Pan."

"What's it called?" Piggeh asked eagerly. He was obsessed with mythology.

"Pan's Labyrinth." Cher replied haughtily. Stephano snorted.

"Let me guess, it's not from this century?" He teased snidely.

"It was released in 2006, _actually._" She retorted.

Stephano cracked up laughing at her livid expression. Cher rarely chose popular movies; she always came up with really obscure foreign films that, more often than not, were indie. She was really quirky like that. Of course Stephano, being the guy that he is, couldn't help but poke fun at her for it. There was a lot of popcorn throwing and teasing as the movie started. Piggeh shushed us as the opening credits finished and we all settled down again. As I was getting comfortable I noticed that Cry was hunkered down in his mass of pillow with the blankets drawn up to his nose. I smiled and leaned towards him, he looked at me with wide eyes.

"Don't you like satyrs, Cry?" I teased. His eyebrows knitted together and he lowered the blanket to his chin.

"This movie is creepy as fuck!" He exclaimed quietly. Cry pulled the blanket back up over his nose and looked back at the screen. I smirked and laid back down next to him, wriggling a little closer so our shoulders touched.

About halfway through the movie there was a particularly creepy scene with a creature that had eyeballs in its hands. Cry whimpered, barely loud enough to hear, and buried his face in the blankets. I looked at him, concerned until I realised he was just scared. Feeling that slight movement, Cry wriggled a little closer to me until he was practically lying on my arm. My whole body locked up in surprise and I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I carefully put an arm around him, cushioning his head with my bicep.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. He nodded.

"Yeah, I just really hate that thing." I could barely hear him; his voice was muffled by my shirt. I smiled and put my other arm around him, stroking his arm reassuringly. I looked back at the TV and winced, it was pretty freaky. _Trust Cher to find the creepiest movie,_ I thought.

We watched a few more movies after Cher's. Stephano brought Silent House – a creepy paranormal film rife with jump scares and a pretty twisted ending, and Cry brought the Resident Evil trilogy. Cry laid cuddled up to me pretty much for the rest of the night.

When I got up to get everyone some more popcorn, Stephano came to interrogate me.

"So." He said provocatively, leaning on the bench across from me.

"So what?" I asked, nonchalantly. He smirked and kicked me lightly.

"Come one, bro." He grinned cheekily. "You and Cry, huh?"

"I guess so." I grinned back at him, blush colouring my pale cheeks.

"I'll admit, I wouldn't have picked it." He commented, as if we were talking about the weather. "I thought you were straight?"

"Well… obviously I'm not." I said nervously. "I'm bi, I guess." Stephano nodded casually.

"That's cool, bro." He grinned. "Stop being so nervous, it's not like we're going to hate you for it."

"I know. It's still kind of scary though."

"It's all good, bro. So what's going to happen now?" He asked. I pursed my lips, hesitating before I answered him.

"I don't know." I said, taking the popcorn out of the microwave and pouring it into a couple of bowls. "I told him I liked him before you guys got here."

"And?"

"And nothing."

"What? He didn't say anything. You guys got here just as he opened his mouth. Stephano winced guiltily.

"Sorry, bro. Well, it seems alright now. You guys are pretty close." I smiled broadly and we took the popcorn back to the games room.

When I got back under the blankets next to Cry he settled back into my arms immediately. My heart quickened as he laid his head on my shoulder and I wrapped my forearms around his chest.

I couldn't believe this was happening… I hadn't expected anything when I told Cry how I felt about him. I mean, I'd hoped but I didn't really think he'd return my feelings. I laid my cheek on Cry's head and he snuggled into me. I smiled contentedly, I didn't want this moment to end.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note**_

_For those who have read this chapter before, there are some major plot changes in here too. Nothing that effects the overall story, but still._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 5**

**Cry's POV**

I woke groggily to see bright rays of sunshine streaming through the gaps in the curtains. I squinted against the glare and rolled away from it, groaning softly. I jumped a little when I rolled straight into Felix's chest. My eyes widened in surprise as he made a small noise and pulled me closer to him. I smiled and relaxed, deciding to sleep in a bit – not that I really had a choice, Felix was holding me pretty tightly.

I started to get bored after a while, I couldn't fall back to sleep. I was not the sort of person that could lie in bed for hours once I was awake. I sighed, wondering how I could pass the time until the others woke up. I squirmed my way out of Felix's grip, being careful not to wake him, and padded quietly to the kitchen. I rummaged through the numerous cabinets, wincing when I almost dropped a frying pan on the tiled floor, and got out all the utensils I needed to cook bacon and eggs. I found all the ingredients I needed and got to work cooking breakfast for everyone.

As I was frying the bacon I heard the others clattering about in the other room. It wasn't long until they'd all filed in and were eagerly eyeing off the frying pan. I smirked – it was like clockwork.

"What's all this, Cry?' Piggeh asked, rubbing his hands together greedily.

"I got bored." I grinned, and Stephano raised an eyebrow at me. "You were all still asleep so I thought I'd do some cooking." I gestured towards the table with my spatula and told them all to sit down. I tipped the bacon onto a heaping plate and, as I was picking it up to take it to the table, Felix approached and whispered,

"You didn't have to do this." I smiled at him.

"I wanted to." I replied. "It's fine."

"Still. It was nice of you." Felix smiled appreciatively. I told him to get the eggs out of the oven where they were keeping warm, and we carried everything over to the table.

We all chatted as we ate, and at one point Cher jokingly pointed out that Piggeh was a cannibal for eating bacon. He responded with a shrill, "No! I'm eating my brethren! I'm sorry fellow piggies." He made a strangled sound and half chewed bits of bacon fell out of his mouth. We all laughed and Cher light-heartedly scolded him for being so impolite.

Felix stopped me when I went to load the dishwasher after everyone was finished. I looked at him quizzically and he blushed.

"You don't need to do that, I have a cleaner. She'll do it when she gets here tonight." I smirked at him.

"Jesus, Felix! How rich _are_ you?" I teased. His blush deepened and he shrugged dismissively.

…

…

It was late in the afternoon and I was battling Stephano to the death in Super Smash Brothers Melee when the intercom buzzed loudly. Felix got up to check who it was as I smashed Stephano's player off the screen.

"Victory!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air. Stephano tackled me from across the couch, launching us both over the arm. Piggeh and Cher burst out in a fit of laughter. I heard Felix call out from down the hall; my mum was here to pick me up. Piggeh groaned melodramatically.

"Why is she here so early, Cry?" He whined. Cher laughed.

"It's almost 4." She said, and Piggeh pouted.

"But he just had to beat Felix and he would've been the reigning champion!"

"We'll just have to finish it next time." Stephano laughed.

"I think we all know that I'd have kicked his ass." I joked, holding my arms out cockily. Stephano scoffed and shoved me teasingly. I waved goodbye to them all and went to find my bag. When I turned the corner into the main hall I bumped into Felix, he'd been coming to get me. I stumbled a little on impact and he grabbed my arm to steady me. I blushed and looked up at him; his bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement. We were standing so close, less than a foot away from one another. I couldn't help but notice that he smelled amazing; like a wonderful combination of jellybeans and Lynx body spray. His eyes searched my face for a few moments and then he took me by the hand and wordlessly led me down the hallway to another room. He closed the door behind us and I realised we were in his bedroom. He sat down on the edge of his bed, gesturing for me to do the same. I nervously sat down next to him and he cleared his throat.

"Cry… I, uh… I just wanted to ask you..." He trailed off, as if searching for the right words. "About what I said yesterday... I guess I was just… wondering… What were you going to say to me when the others got here?" His gorgeous blue eyes were round as he searched my face hopefully. For a few minutes I was speechless, my mind totally empty of everything I'd wanted to say. Once I regained my composure and closed my gaping mouth I noticed Felix was starting to lose that glimmer of hope.

"I was going to say that I feel the same." I blurted, instinctively putting my hand over his.

"You actually… You like me too?" He asked dumbly. I smiled and nodded, closing my hand around his.

"I've kind of had this giant crush on you for a while now." I admitted nervously. Felix's cheeks went pink.

"Me too." He murmured. Suddenly he lifted up my mask so my mouth was exposed and started leaning towards me, his eyes started closing and he puckered his lips. Realising what was happening I jerked away and got to my feet, almost running to the door.

"M-my mum is waiting for me downstairs." I stammered. Felix's smile dropped from his face to be replaced by confusion. He stood and cautiously stepped towards me.

"Are you okay, Cry?" He asked worriedly. I bit my lips nervously, not knowing how to explain myself.

"I'm fine, it's just… mum gets mad when I make her wait too long." I lied. Felix frowned, sighed, and opened his bedroom door to let me into the hallway.

"I'll go get your duffel bag." He said. I could hear the disappointment in his voice. _What if he thinks I was lying to save his feelings? _I suddenly thought, anxiety knotting up my stomach. _What if he doesn't want to speak to me anymore?! _Okay, I'll admit, I was overreacting. But I was suddenly worrying myself silly that Felix would think I lied.

I met Felix at his front door and he handed me my bag. I thanked him and slung it over my shoulder. I bit my lip nervously as an awkward silence stretched out between us.

"Well, I guess I should get going." I stuttered, gesturing at the door.

"Yeah, I guess." Felix agreed, nodding dejectedly. I opened the door and went to step out into the hall, my mind racing trying to figure out how to make it up to Felix. I turned on my heel in the doorway so I was facing Felix again and said, "So I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure." He replied. I bit my lip again, my nervousness building. I decided to take a leap of faith and just dive straight in. I took a deep breath and, before he even realised what I was doing, I leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Bye, Felix!" I said, blushing like mad, and rushed into the hallway, closing the front door behind me.

I pulled my mask back down as I strode towards the elevator. I took the lift down to the first floor and almost ran across the lobby. I ran to get in the car when I got outside; mum looked impatient. I jumped in the passenger seat, clicked on my seatbelt, and she pulled away from the curb.

"How was it, sweetie?" She asked lovingly. I grinned at her through my mask.

"It was great, mum. I had a lot of fun." I replied.

"What movies did you end up watching?" I relayed the list and she commented on her intense dislike of scary movies. I laughed and told her the same thing she always told me when I was a kid; they're only make-believe. She huffed and puffed, but she had a smile on her face. I stared out the window for the rest of the drive home. Butterflies swirled around in my stomach as I thought about Felix trying to kiss me. I hadn't meant to pull away, I just got spooked. I sighed, annoyed with myself. I decided that next time he tried something, I wouldn't stop him.

**Pewdie's POV**

I didn't really know what to do the next day at school. I stepped off the school bus into bright sunshine and an uncomfortably warm breeze. I still couldn't believe Cry had kissed me, even though it was on the cheek. I'd been worried I'd offended him when he'd pulled away from me in my bedroom, but maybe he wasn't used to physical contact like that. I mean, he did wear that mask everywhere. Now that I thought about it, it was actually kind of creepy. His personality allayed the spookiness, but still, there was something off about its expressionlessness. It gave no indication of what the person behind it was like… But then maybe he wanted it to be like that. I sighed and made my way to my locker. The bus was a bit late to school today, so I had to rush to get to class.

I pondered the weekend for the whole day, unsure of what to do. I didn't see Cry until period 5 and 6 for maths and biology. Everything was fine between us. He wasn't acting any differently towards me, though it didn't help that he had his mask on; I couldn't read him at all. I tried to approach him about it at the end of the day, but I couldn't work up the confidence to say anything.

…

…

Cry and I had maths together the next day in the second double. We only had three more classes before our first outcome for the year, and Cry was stressing out about it. I was helping him out with the work as much as I could, but he was still really tense.

"I am _so_ going to fail!" Cry exclaimed, throwing his pen onto the table before him in exasperation.

"No, you aren't." I replied firmly. "You can do this stuff, I know you can." Cry groaned loudly and slumped back in his chair. I frowned; it wasn't nice to see him like this.

"Hey, Cry." I nudged him and he turned his head to face me. "Do you, uh… Do you want to catch a movie or something this Friday? You know, to unwind. You seem really stressed out."

"I am stressed." Cry sighed. He paused for a moment, thinking. Then suddenly he sat up and smiled at me enthusiastically. "I'd love to go to the movies with you, Felix. It could be good for me to chill out a bit." I smiled back at him. _See, Felix? That wasn't so hard. I don't why you were so worried. _Cry seemed a lot happier through the rest of the day. Even for the remainder of the maths lesson he seemed less tense.

Cry and I hung around one another a lot for the rest of the week. He took me to meet his friends Tam, Russ, Scott and Elizabeth on Thursday. They all seemed excited to meet me, and Tam told me she'd heard _all_ about me from Cry.

"Oh, he hasn't shut _up_ about you!" She'd exclaimed, receiving an embarrassed glare from Cry.

Cry caught the bus home with me on Friday night, and we walked into the middle of the city at about 6 o'clock. At the last moment, Cry decided to leave his mask at my house.

"Are you sure?" I asked uncertainly. He looked almost scared without it.

"Y-yeah." He stammered. "I'll be okay with you around." That little statement had almost made my heart burst. I knew I immediately went scarlet.

"Do you want to go straight to the movie?" Cry asked hesitantly as we made our way through the bustling streets. I think he was feeling a bit nervous. I flashed him a reassuring smile and suggested we grab some dinner first. He happily agreed and I took him to a nice little café-restaurant that I used to visit with my mother when she still lived here. We chose a two person table in the front window and chatted about unimportant things until a pretty blonde came to serve us. She blushed when I greeted her, glancing nervously at Cry. He wouldn't meet her eyes. She took out order and left to get our drinks. I smirked at Cry.

"See? I told you that you don't need to wear your mask." I winked at him and he poked his tongue out at me. The girl brought us our drinks and, soon after, our food. She asked if we needed anything else, staring bashfully at Cry. I smothered and grin as he shook his head nervously, he was so awkward.

"She wants your D, bro." I teased once she'd left, sipping my water. He frowned at me.

"Shut up, no she doesn't." He muttered.

We talked as we ate. Cry told me about his family; his mum was a graphic designer at a firm downtown, and she was often away at work. He looked after his younger brother Andy a lot, and he was really close with his little brother. He asked me about my family, so I told him about how me and my mum used to go for lunch at this café, and about my younger sisters Sara and Marley. They were twins and they went out of their way to cause trouble for me. He also asked me why my family had gone back to Sweden and left me here on my own. I frowned at that; I didn't really like talking about it. I saw no reason to keep it a secret however, so I told him that my parent's had gone back to Sweden to finalise their divorce, and mum had taken my sisters with her because she wasn't intending on coming back.

"I've spent almost eight years here." I said as we finished our meals. "I couldn't imagine leaving Stephano and Piggeh and Mr Chair." Cry nodded sombrely – I don't think it was what he was expecting. "Or you." I added, making Cry go pink. He bit his lip and stared up at me through his lashes.

"Let's go." He said suddenly. "We still have the movies to get to." I smiled at him and stood up. He went to take his wallet out of his pocket, but I stopped him.

"Allow me." I said cheekily, and he frowned at me. "I'm the one who asked you on this date! I'll pay." I smirked and went to the counter to cover the bill.

We walked in silence for a while on the way to the movie theatre until Cry cleared his throat and took my hand, making me turn to look at him. He looked up at me nervously and said, "So this is a date then?" I smiled at him fondly.

"You don't sound too pleased about that." I teased.

"No, no I am. It's just…"

"What?" I asked, growing a little worried. He led me out of the way of the bustling foot traffic. "What is it, Cry?"

"I… So does this mean that we're… you know, dating now?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly with nerves.

"Only if you want us to be." I replied, grasping his hand a little more tightly. He turned scarlet and looked away bashfully. After a moment he looked at me again, biting his lip. He seemed to do that a lot.

"I'd really like that." He said in a small voice.

"Well, good." I grinned. "It's settled then." He smiled at me and I led him away, towards the theatre.

…

…

"So, what should we see?" I asked Cry. We were standing in the lobby of the movie theatre, gazing up at the board showing all the movies and their play times.

"Uh… How about Iron Man 3?" He suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hmm… What about a scary one?" Cry glanced at me nervously. "What about Evil Dead?" I asked excitedly. "I've seen the trailer for it and it looks pretty good." Cry bit his lip, scanning the movie board.

"Sure." He said finally. "It starts in 20 minutes. Let's go to the concession stand!" He grabbed my hand and led me off through the crowd.

Cry got himself a super-sized bubble-gum Slurpee, a jumbo box of popcorn and a box of Jaffas. I teased him about getting so many sweets, and he just shrugged and told me he had a major sweet tooth.

We found a good seat in the middle of the theatre and settled in. Cry folded the armrest into the seat and moved a little closer to me, putting his drink in the cup holder and clutching his box of popcorn. I put my arm around him and pulled him closer, and he leaned his head on my shoulder.

…

…

"That was great!" Cry exclaimed as we exited the theatre.

"Are you sure? You look a little pale." I teased, and he shoved me away playfully. He took his phone out of his pocket and switched it back on. It buzzed as a message from his mum came through.

"Mum's just around the corner," He said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. I took his hand and we walked to his car, talking about the movie on the way. I stopped him a few yards away from the car and pulled Cry into a hug.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." I whispered into his shaggy brown hair. He pulled away a little to look at me.

"I did too." He grinned. "We should do it again some time." His mum beeped the horn at us. "Geez, she's impatient." He scowled. I smiled and put a finger under his chin to tilt his head up. I looked into his beautiful grey eyes, and he gazed back into mine, and I hesitantly pulled him in for a goodbye kiss. His lips were soft against mine, and sweet. It lasted for seconds before Cry pulled away.

"I have to go." He said sadly.

"I know. Hey, I'll see you soon, okay."

"Okay." He smiled at me and went to get in his car, waving as he drove past.

I was grinning like a doofus the whole walk home. The café we'd eaten at was closing up as I went past, and I saw the girl that had served us leaving. I smiled and nodded at her as I passed, and she said hello. After I few seconds I felt a tug on my arm, and turned to find the cute blonde smiling up at me.

"Where's your friend?" She asked cheerily, walking along beside me as I continued on my way.

"He had to go home." I replied. "His ride came to pick him up."

"And he didn't take you home too?"

"Nah, I don't live far. I don't mind walking." She was silent for a few moments.

"Still, I would've taken you home. It's not safe walking in the city alone."

"You would've been if I hadn't been walking past." I smirked, and she blushed.

"I-I suppose." She stammered. "Well, I'm not alone now, so it doesn't matter. I'm Jennifer by the way."

"Felix. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." She smiled widely at me, a little skip in her step. "So… Who was your friend?" She asked, trying to be subtle. I looked down at her slight form and frowned slightly.

"He's my boyfriend." I replied sternly. Her eyes widened and her gaze dropped.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know…"

"It's fine, you couldn't have." She remained quiet for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"Huh?" I hadn't even heard what she said, becoming lost in thought as we walked.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I really didn't know."

"It's alright." I assured her, chuckling softly. "There was no way you could've."

"You're a lucky guy, Felix. He's a catch." She grinned. I smiled back at her and we fell into a comfortable silence until we reached her building.

"Bye, Felix." She said as she unlocked the front door. I said goodbye as she hurried inside. I smiled to myself, _Called it._ I thought, chuckling to myself as I made my way home.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note**_

_Okay, bros. I am really bad at keeping a consistent pace with these chapters, aren't I? However, I will commit to at LEAST one chapter a week. Sometimes it may be more than that, but I will definitely upload one at the very least._

_Enjoy!_

_EDIT: I tried. I really did. My apologies *love heart*_

**Chapter 6**

**Pewdie's POV**

"Pewds wait up!" Stephano called from down the hall. I turned to see what he wanted as he came up beside me. He put an arm around my shoulder and grinned broadly at me.

"What is it, bro?" I asked, puzzled.

"You and Cry, bro!" He exclaimed. "I heard what happened on Friday night." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and nudged me in the ribs with his elbow.

"And where did you hear it, Stephano?" I grinned at him and he shrugged, feigning innocence.

"A little piggy told me." He said cheekily. "I think it's gotten around pretty quick. I've had quite a few people approach me asking whether it's true or not."

"And what have you told them?"

"To ask you or Cry." He shrugged. "I don't believe in gossiping. I also told them not to assume before they got the facts."

"Alright, thanks bro."

Piggeh ran up to me and scooped me up in a tight hug when Stephano and I got to our usual hang out spot.

"You did it!" He cried excitedly, practically throwing me into the air. "You're a couple! Oh god, you're so cute. Where is he? Make him come here! I want to see you two love birds together!" Stephano and I laughed and we all went to sit around the table with Mr Chair.

"He's hanging out with his friends, Piggeh. He'll come out here at lunch."

Piggeh snorted and pouted at me. "But I want to see him now!" He whined. Stephano snickered and Mr Chair elbowed Piggeh playfully.

"You're like a five year old." She teased. "If Felix can live without Cry for a couple of hours, so can you!"

"Don't you have cooking next, Piggeh?" Stephano asked, grinning from ear to ear. "You can see Cry then." Piggeh's face lit up, making us all laugh. _He is like a five year old. Anyone else would've thought _he_ was the one dating Cry, not me._

Cry came and found me before class started after recess. He managed to give me a quick hug before Piggeh dragged him off to cooking. Smiling at his enthusiasm, Stephano, Mr Chair and I headed off to P.E.

It was a particularly warm day today, at least 85 degrees, so I wasn't particularly looking forward to having P.E. We entered the change rooms and put on our gym clothes. I was glad I'd decided to bring some shorts instead of trackies this morning. The whole class screwed up their noses when Mr Murrel told us we were doing fitness tests for the next couple of lessons. Thankfully he spared us from doing the beep test until it was a little cooler. He told us to break up into groups of three and move around the tests, and to try to get as many done as possible in today's lesson. Naturally Stephano and I joined Mr Chair.

We started with the grip test, in which you had to hold a pressure weight and try to close your fist around it. Stephano couldn't help but make a crude joke about Cher having an above average grip. She replied with a playful punch to his stomach, which Stephano played up by holding his stomach and groaning in pain, even collapsing on the floor. Most of the tests were pretty boring. I scored a below average on both the flexibility and the balance tests, and an above average in pull ups, push ups, and sit ups. We also discovered that Mr Chair could practically fold herself in half in the flexibility test. She'd smirked at our stunned expressions as she laid on her own legs. Stephano scored well on pretty much all of the tests. No surprises there. He was built for this sort of stuff. As we made our way to the locker rooms after class, Mr Murrel called out a reminder that we had homework due in our next theory class.

We were late to lunch because Mr Chair took a while getting changed back into her uniform and doing her hair and such. We got to the courtyard to find Cry had brought everyone cannelloni that he'd made in cooking. Piggeh said he would've brought some too, but his failed miserably. He'd never been a good cook, despite his passion for food. Cry's cannelloni was delicious. We all showered him with praise as we practically inhaled it. He brushed it all off, insisting that it wasn't that good, but he was being modest. I was quickly learning that Cry was a superb cook.

I said my goodbyes to everyone after school and headed to my bus. It was pretty packed by the time I got on, so I took one of the only empty seats left next to a girl that looked about my age. She was wearing casual clothes – she must've been from Silver Tail, another College further into the city. She had electric blue hair that was shaved on one side and dyed with leopard spots, and she was razor thin and angular. Her makeup was heavy and black. She went to give me a dirty look as I sat down, but it softened a bit as she actually took me in. She stared at me for a few moments, then turned up her nose at me and looked out the window.

The spidery girl gave me fleeting glances and sidelong looks for the whole bus ride home. When we finally pulled up at my stop I couldn't be more eager to leave; she was making me feel _very_ uncomfortable. To my dismay she got off too, and followed me to my building. I unlocked the door as she passed me, and I couldn't help but turn to look back at her. She strode past, her needle thin legs like a black widow's, and she winked at me. I screwed my face up at her and went inside. _Weird._ I thought, shuddering slightly. _She was so creepy! Silver Tail kids are so strange…_ I pressed the call button for the elevator and nervously fiddled with the catch on my bag strap. The elevator arrived in a few moments and I vaguely noticed someone step out.

"Hi, Felix." I looked up to see Marzia standing before me.

"Oh, hey." I said, and she grinned at me. I liked Marzia. We'd gone to school together for a year while I lived with my dad in Italy. I'd been very surprised to see that she was living here when I moved in a few months ago.

"How was your day?" She asked sweetly, and I couldn't help but smile at her. She had that effect on everyone she met, she practically oozed cheerfulness.

"It wasn't too bad, thank you. How was yours? I'm guessing you weren't at school today?"

She shook her head. "No, I was at an art expo downtown. I just came back to get my folio-" She gestured to the slim, briefcase looking folder in her hands "-I'm going to take it back to try and get some professional opinions on my designs."

"Well, good luck. If you're still half as good as you were last time you showed me your work I'm sure they'll all be blown away."

Marzia blushed and smiled at me. "Thanks, Felix. You always give me that little extra bit of confidence I need." She looked at her bright blue watch. "I have to go; the expo closes in two hours. I'll see you later, Pewdie. Oh, and I left a note on your front door. It's just a suggestion, but I think it'd be good to look into. Bye!"

"See you, Cutie Pie!" I called playfully as she left the building and I called the elevator again. I got to my floor to find the note pinned to my door, as promised.

It read: _Felix- _

_I don't know if you're interested but I saw an ad in the newspaper this morning about a little pug puppy they were selling at the pound. I know how much you used to love pugs and, though I don't know if you're even allowed to have pets here, I thought it'd be worth telling you! _

_From Marzia!_

I smiled to myself and went inside. It would be nice to get a puppy, and Marzia was right; I had always wanted a pug. I decided I'd look into it after school tomorrow.

**Cry's POV**

"A puppy?" I asked, giving Felix a sidelong look as I put my books in my locker. "What brought this on?"

"My friend Marzia left a note at my door saying there's one at the pound right now. I figured, why not?"

"Hey, I think I met Marzia." Felix raised an eyebrow at me quizzically. "When I came over for the movie night a couple of weeks ago, I held the elevator for her. I didn't realise you two were friends." I closed my locker and Felix and I walked towards our usual spot.

"We went to elementary school together for a year when I lived in Italy."

"You lived in Italy?" I asked, astounded. He shrugged shyly.

"Yeah, I've lived all over the place."

"I'm just teasing." I said, poking him in the ribs. "If anything I'm jealous. I haven't even been out of the state!"

Felix flashed me his crooked smile and said, "Maybe I'll take you on a trip somewhere one day. We can go on a romantic trip to Venice!" He winked at me and I laughed, shoving him lightly.

"Yeah, totally! Let's go right now. We'll hijack a jumbo jet and travel across Europe!"

Felix laughed and grinned widely at me. "Yes! A flawless plan! I don't see how this could possibly go wrong." We both cracked up laughing as we entered the courtyard and sat down with the others.

…

…

After school I went with Felix to the pound to have a look at the puppy he wanted. While we were waiting for the reception lady to come back with one of the staff I played with the kittens through the wire mesh of their cage.

"It's so sad that they have to be locked up like this." I said, wiggling my finger through the mesh. A grey kitten with white paws swiped at me and then jumped away in fright when I moved. "I'm going to get one. Or two… Or all of them." I said decisively.

Felix chucked. "Because your mum will be so happy with you bringing home twenty kittens."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind… She loves animals!" I got to my feet and went to stand with Felix. "I wonder if she'd at least let me have one. I'd take it with me when I move out next year."

"There's no harm in asking." He replied, looping an arm around my waist. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek of my mask, which made me blush. I gave him a small, shy smile. Even though he couldn't see it I was sure he knew it was there. I jumped as a door behind us banged open and a burly lady came out to greet us. It took me a moment to even realise she _was_ a woman.

"You're wanting to look at the puppies?" She said huskily. She even sounded burly. Felix nodded and told her we were looking to get a pug, and she led us off through the pound. Felix took my hand in his as we walked, which brought a smile to my face. My stomach was once again swarmed by butterflies. _He said _we_ were looking for a puppy. _I squeezed Felix's hand and he gave me a loving smile.

As we approached the area where the puppies were kept we heard a cacophony of yapping and barking. There were at least thirty puppies in the pens, of all different sizes and breeds. The burly man-lady took us to the end of a row and opened the door to a pen containing the cutest little pugs I'd ever seen. Felix's face lit up as they came over to greet us, yipping and grunting happily. We played with them for a while under the man-lady's watchful eye until Felix decided which one he wanted.

"Cry, I can't decide. This one, or this one?" He held two pugs on his lap, a boy and a girl. The boy was black with a white nose and paws, and the girl was a tan colour with a black nose and ears.

"I think the girl." I said, scratching her behind the ears. "She's adorable." The little pug nipped at my fingers and barked at me.

Felix smiled, chuckling softly. "I think so too." He turned to the man-lady who was standing over the pen. "We'll have this one" The lady nodded and told us to follow her with the dog. This time she took us through some more corridors and into what appeared to be a veterinary clinic. A smiling man in blue scrubs came out and asked what we needed. The man-lady told him that the puppy needed a general check-up done so that we could register and take her. He gestured for us to follow him, and we took the pug into an adjacent room and put the puppy down on a big, steel table. Once the vet looked her over and confirmed that she was fine, she asked us if we wanted to get her micro chipped in case she got lost. Felix said we did and he wrote down all his details, putting me down as an emergency contact and Stephano as a backup.

"What should we name her?" Felix asked. I frowned; I wasn't good at thinking of names.

"Hm… How about…" I trailed off for a few moments, thinking. "Mia?"

Felix pondered the name for a few moments. "Mia… I like it." He grinned and wrote it down on the page. "Mia it is."

The vet took Mia away to microchip her. After an hour or so he gave her back to us with some general instructions on how to look after her as she grew up. We thanked him and made our way back to reception. We said goodbye to the girl at reception, who wished us luck with our new puppy, and Felix called a taxi to come get us.

"I can't believe she's ours." Felix said excitedly as we waited for the cab. I scratched Mia under the chin and she nipped at my fingers.

"Yours, really." I said gently. "It's not like she'll be living with both of us."

Felix smiled at me and gently pulled my mask up on top of my head. It took a lot of willpower not to flinch as he did so. "Who knows, she could be ours one day." I glanced around nervously to make sure no one could see me.

"Maybe, one day." I replied, and Felix leaned forward to give me a soft kiss. It wasn't long after that that the taxi came. We got in and Felix told him to take us to my house. We pulled up outside and I leaned in the passenger window to give Felix a kiss goodbye. The cab driver gave us a funny look, which made me a little nervous, but I tried to ignore him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Felix." I said, stepping back from the cab.

"Bye, Cry." Felix said. He lifted Mia up and waved her paw at me. "Goodbye, Cry. I love you!" He said in a girly voice. I laughed and waved goodbye as they drove away. I made my way across the front yard and up the steps of the front porch, a smile still plastered across my face. I was just about to open the front door when something dawned on me. I froze, stunned at the sudden realisation. Had Felix just… Had my boyfriend just told me he loved me?


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note**_

_I have just one small thing I'd like to mention before I start this chapter…_

_This story has over 850 views. What the… I don't even… When did this happen! I seriously cannot comprehend that. I never expected to get anywhere near this much attention on this story. Maybe like 80-100 views if I was lucky. But eight hundred and fifty?! Holy shit! Thank you for your support guys, drop me a comment/review thing if you have any input for me :) I'd love to get some advice on how to improve my writing style and things like that. And feel free to suggest any references or whatever you'd like to see in future chapters :) the feedback I get from you guys is amazing, and I love seeing new comments and seeing that people are really loving my story. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside haha._

_Anyway, enough of my blabbing! Enjoy :)_

**Chapter 7 **

**Cry's POV**

Things were a little strained between Felix and me the next week at school. I didn't really know how to approach him about what he'd said on Friday. Even though he was being silly, had he been partly serious? And if he was, what now? What was I supposed to say? I didn't know how I felt about him...

I didn't hang out with Felix and the others over the next couple of days at school. I stuck with my old friends instead. They were grateful to take me back; even Tam who usually would've pounded me for disappearing for so long was great. She'd dyed her blonde hair vibrant red over the weekend. Russ told me she'd had a fight with her parents so she did it to spite them, but now she was actually starting to like it. I thought it really suited her; it definitely reflected her fiery personality.

It wasn't until Wednesday at lunch when Felix approached me with a hurt look on his face that we spoke for more than a few seconds.

"Cry?" He said in a small voice, lightly tugging at my sleeve. "Can we talk?"

I nodded anxiously and he led me off to a secluded corner of the school gardens. We stood beneath a huge willow tree, a babble of voices echoing on the breeze from somewhere barely in earshot.

"Are you… avoiding me, Cry?" Felix asked, sadness tainting his voice. My eyes dropped and I pulled my mask off to let it hang about my neck. I looked up at him guiltily; the sadness of his expression was like a knife to my chest.

"Not intentionally." I said quietly. "I just… I've just had some things on my mind."

"Like what?"

I hesitated, not really knowing how to phrase what I had to say. Felix came up close to me and took my hands, clasping them together and pressing them to his lips.

"What is it, Cry? You know you can tell me anything."

"I just… Felix, did–" I hesitated, my voice catching in my throat a little. "Did you mean what you said on Friday?"

Felix frowned, puzzled. "Mean what? You're going to have a little more specific."

I swallowed painfully and pursed my lips. "When you… When you said you said you… Love me."

Felix's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He stared at me in shock for a few moments, not saying a word. I bit the inside of my cheek nervously, I wasn't sure what I wanted Felix's answer to be. I cared about him in a big way, but love? I really wasn't sure. I didn't know if I wanted Felix to say he loved me… I had no clue what I wanted or what I felt.

"What would you say if I did…?" Felix asked tentatively, my hands still clasped in his own.

I stared up at him, wide eyed. "I– I don't…"

"Would you leave me if I loved you?" Felix asked quietly.

"Of course not!" I quickly exclaimed. "Don't be silly, Felix."

His gaze softened. "I don't really know how I feel right now, Cry… I've been struggling to sort out my thoughts."

"Me too." I muttered, looking at our hands.

"I think I'm falling for you." Felix said slowly, pulling me a little closer, tightening his hold on my hands. I looked up at him surprise. "It's not love… but I really care about you, Cry." He pushed my hair out of my face and looked into my eyes. He was almost intimidating like this, standing so close and with such an intense look in his eyes.

"I… I don't know h-how I feel" I cleared my throat nervously. "Of course I care about you too…" Felix's brow creased worriedly. "I just can't help but wonder… Are we taking things too fast? We've been together for almost a month, that's practically nothing! I'm afraid we're rushing things."

"You're right, we are… I've thought about that a lot too. But we can hardly control our feelings. I'm not saying I love you Cry, but you make me happy. Isn't that all that counts right now?"

I smiled up at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Felix smiled and gave me a small kiss before he pulled my mask back over my face.

"Come on," He said. "Let's go find the others." Keeping hold of one of my hands, Felix led me away.

…

…

"Hey, Ryan!" Andy cried as I put my bag down in the front entrance. "How was your day?"

I gave my brother a hug and went into the kitchen for a snack. "It wasn't too bad, thanks buddy." Andy grinned widely at me and I noticed he was missing a front tooth. "What happened there?" I asked, flicking my fingers over his lips, almost close enough to get him. He flinched and giggled.

"I finally lost my tooth today!" He yelled excitedly. "It's been wobbly for _ages_ and it finally came out in my Roll-Up at lunch!" I grinned at my little brother and took a can of lemonade out of the fridge.

"That's awesome! I guess you'll be getting a visit from the tooth fairy tonight then. You want one?" He nodded and I handed him a can.

"I don't want the tooth fairy to come." He said, sipping his drink and screwing up his face.

"Why not? Don't you want her to leave you a dollar?"

He shook his head emphatically. "The tooth fairy is for girls. I want someone else to bring me a dollar."

"And who would that someone be?"

"I dunno… Someone like Bumblebee! Or Ben10!" He cried, throwing his arms up in the air. I laughed and went to the lounge room, Andy in tow, and sat down on the couch.

"Maybe it will be one of them." I laughed. "You never know."

"Ryan?" I turned to look at Andy. "When is Felix coming over again? I want to show him my new toys that mummy gave me."

I smiled at him. "I'm sure he'll be over soon enough, Andy. Maybe this weekend." Andy huffed and turned back to watch TV. I stared at the flickering screen for a while longer, thinking about my boyfriend. He was right about what he'd said today. The only thing that mattered was that we were happy, we'd take everything else as it came. I knew I was falling for Felix though… A month and I was falling for him. I didn't understand how I could let my feelings get so out of control.

**Pewdie's POV**

I groaned, reluctantly opening my eyes to the morning sun and Mia's wet tongue on my cheek.

"Mia no… Mia stop it. Mia!" I propped myself up on my elbow and pushed Mia away, wiping the dog spit off my face. She grunted at me and licked my hand. I sighed and laid back down, hugging Mia to my side so she couldn't get back at my face. What day was it…? Saturday. Ah, I loved weekends. I stretched lazily and yawned. Mia grunted at me again and whined.

"Alright, bubba. Let's go get you some breakfast." I got up and stretched again. I picked up Mia and took her to the kitchen. Once I'd given her breakfast I went looking for something for myself. I decided on a coffee and some toast. I was sleepily rubbing my eyes and waiting for the kettle to boil when my intercom went off. I hobbled my way over there and pressed the receiver button.

"Hello?" I yawned. I heard a familiar laugh on the other end.

"Good morning, lazy."

"Hey, Cry. Hang on, I'll buzz you up." I pressed the button, unlocked the front door and went back to the kitchen. I made up my coffee and took it to the bench to sit and read the newspaper Margy, my cleaner, had left for me.

Cry let himself in and skipped up to me, holding a large basket.

"What's this?" I asked, smirking as my boyfriend bounced on the balls of his feet, grinning in excitement.

"We're going on a picnic!" He exclaimed. "I invited the others and they're going to meet us at the St George Memorial Park in an hour. Come on, get ready!" I laughed and took the basket from him, setting it down on the bench.

"It's okay, Cry." I said, putting my arms around his waist. "We've got a whole hour. There's plenty of time."

"We've still got to walk there." He said, smiling up at me and resting his arms on my chest.

"It'll take like fifteen minutes. We've still got time to waste." I let go of him and turned to have a look what was in the basket. "What did you make for us all, anyway?"

Cry slapped my hand away. "Don't even think about it, mister. You can wait until we get to the park." I poked my tongue out at him and sat back down on the bar stool at the bench. Cry sat down next to me and started spinning from side to side, his mask swinging around his neck.

"You know, you don't need to wear that mask." Cry looked away, still spinning from side to side. I turned my chair towards him. "Seriously, you're gorgeous, Cry. You shouldn't hide yourself away from the world." He looked up at me with his big, grey eyes and I couldn't help but smile. I cupped his cheek in my hand, lightly tracing my thumb over his temple. He really was perfect. I couldn't understand why he would feel insecure about himself. I traced his cheekbone with my finger, running it down his nose and eventually over his lips to rest on his chin. I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and, when I went to pull away, Cry looped his arms around my neck and pulled me back. He crushed his lips against mine, and I could feel him smiling as he tightened his grip around my neck. My hand was still trapped against his jaw, so put my other arm around his waist and pulled him closer, his chair dragging across the ground a little. Cry broke away, a little bit breathless, blush colouring his cheeks. He smiled at me and tightened his arms around me to hug me. I disentangled my hand from his arms and hugged him back, squeezing him tight. I let go of Cry and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I should go have a shower and get ready." I said, getting to my feet. Cry let go of me, running his hands down my arms and holding my hands as he did so. I brought his hands to my lips and kissed them lightly. "I'll be back soon."

I went to the bathroom, got undressed, and turned on the shower, flinching at the iciness of the water. As I waited for it to heat up I turned to inspect myself in the mirror. I scanned my lean, slender form, pausing on the faded scars scattered over my chest, stomach and arms. I scowled at them bitterly, remembering the stories of how they got there. The largest stretched from just above my left nipple and down to my left hip, curving slightly in the middle. My father had given me the scar on Christmas Eve when I was eleven. He'd been drunk, as usual, and he and my mother were fighting again.

**Flashback**

I jolted awake to a loud crashing sound coming from downstairs. I froze under my thick duvet, waiting for what usually came next. My face contorted in fear as mum started shouting obscenities at my father, him replying in a loud, slurred voice. Their violent cries echoed up the stairs more and more loudly as their fight progressed. I put my hands over my ears in a futile attempt to block out their angry screams, eventually deciding to go downstairs to see if mum was okay. I reached the bottom landing, tears running down my cheeks, in time to see mum throw a half empty beer bottle at my father. She missed and the bottle shattered on the coffee table behind him, spraying alcohol everywhere. His face went red with rage.

"You stupid whore!" He growled, stopping to pick up the still-intact neck of the broken bottle. A jagged piece of glass jutted from the end of the neck, and my father waved it front of him, uncoordinatedly stumbling towards my mother. "How dare you raise a _finger_ against me, you fucking bitch." My eyes widened in fear as my father raised the makeshift weapon above his head and my mother dropped to her knees, scrambling away from my mad father, her face pale with dread.

"Dad! What are you– No!" I screamed, throwing myself forward to cling to his arm, shaking him, begging him to stop. He swung his free hand around and backhanded me across the face, launching me backwards onto the floor.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" He yelled, stalking towards me, shattered bottle in hand. "You think it's acceptable to question your father? I'll teach you, you spoiled brat." My mother screamed at my father to stop as I tried to pick myself up off the ground. To run, to hide, anything, but it was no use. There was no escaping my father's rage this time. My father lurched a little as he came at me with the broken bottle. I screamed as searing pain shot down my side, my vision blurred and turned red and I convulsively curled up in a ball. I dimly remembered my mother jumping on my father's back, knocking the glass from his hand. He threw her off and hit her hard enough to knock her out. Then he came back to me, I screamed and begged for him to stop as he beat me, raining blows over my back and head.

All I knew in that moment was pain, coming from everywhere, consuming my body and mind. I vaguely remember flashing lights outside and shouting as I passed out. I woke up the next day in hospital. My side had been stitched up, and my head was pounding. My mum was sitting next to me, and she took my hand as I blearily looked around. I later found out that my next door neighbour had called the police and those were the flashing lights I'd seen. I didn't understand then, nor do I understand now, why we hadn't been taken away from my father then. I'd spent my eleventh Christmas in hospital because of him, and a few weeks after he was right back living with us.

I was terrified of him from then on… until I was old enough and strong enough to fight back. To convince my mother to leave him. One thing I always did was protect my sisters from that monster, I never let him lay a finger on either of them.

**End Flashback**

I gazed at my marred, imperfect self in the mirror for a few moments longer, staring at the scars caused by both my father and myself, before getting in the shower.

…

…

I wrapped a fluffy white towel around my waist once I was dry and quickly went to my room, trying not to let Cry see me; I didn't want him to see my scars. I got dressed and went back to the kitchen, towelling my hair dry.

"Shall we go?" I asked, grinning. Cry smiled back and nodded.

'Yeah, let's go." He picked up the basket and we left. I went to tie his mask on for him in the elevator, but he brushed my hand away. He blushed at my questioning look.

"I don't think I'm going to wear it today. You're right, I shouldn't hide from the world, despite my… uh… i-insecurities." He bit his lip and looked away from me, blushing lightly. I took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I was glad that he organised this picnic, he was finally going to see that he shouldn't be afraid.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note**_

_Thank you guys so much for all of your support. Seriously, you have no idea how much it means to me to know you guys enjoy reading my fanfiction. It makes me unbelievably happy to see that a new review has been posted, or that over 1'000 people have read it (yes, we're over a thousand guys!). Thank you all so, so much. I love you all so much, you have no idea. _

_One other thing. Do you bros think I should do mini chapters on Stephano, Piggeh and Cher (where necessary)? They'd be few and far between I'd say, but I think it'd be cool to get a bit of insight on these characters, as you don't really get too much as it is. Like in this chapter for instance, I'd like to do a small piece on Cher (you'll get why when you read it) but I'd like to know if you'd be interested before I go ahead and post them :) drop me a review or a PM and let me know what you think!_

_I hope you enjoy this chapter! I love you._

**Chapter 8**

**Pewdie's POV**

Cry and I were a little late to the park. Stephano, Mr Chair, and Piggeh sitting under the shade of a large tree along with Tam, Russ, Scott, and Eli. Cry stayed close to me as we approached them, his eyes darting around the park at all the people, our shoulders touching.

"Are you okay, Cry?" I asked softly. He jumped slightly and looked at me with round eyes.

"Y-yeah, I think s-so…" He bit his lip and guardedly looked around the park again. "There's just so many people here…" He spoke in a small, scared voice. I felt a twinge of guilt as I watched his gnaw at his lip, almost shaking with nerves. I took his hand and squeezed it tightly, and he gave me a weak smile.

"Don't even worry about it, Cry. I'm here." He sighed shakily and held onto my hand as we approached our friends.

"Hey guys, how's it– Cry! You're not…" I shook my head at Cher and she trailed off, face lit up with supressed excitement. "I almost didn't realise it was you!" She exclaimed. Cry shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot, and I whispered for him to sit down. He blushed and took a seat next to me, seeming to shrink into himself beneath the stares of the others. I can't say I understood why Cry was so nervous; we were around people he knew pretty well. I leaned back casually on my arms, pinning my boyfriend's hand under my own. He glanced at me fleetingly, a hint of relief and gratefulness in his eyes.

"Good for you, Cry Baby." Tam said in teasing but gentle tone. She helped herself to the picnic basket, handing out sandwiches to everyone and oohing and ahhing at all the goodies Cry had created.

After we'd eaten, Stephano produced a Frisbee from his backpack and suggested we have a Frisbee tournament. We split into two teams; Piggeh, Russ, Eli and I against Cry, Scott, Eli and Stephano. Mr Chair stayed seated in shade, claiming it was too hot and she was too full to run around, though I was sure she'd only had half a sandwich… I shrugged it off, dismissing it as ignorance on my part; she must've eaten, I just wasn't paying attention.

The Frisbee war was fun. Tam decided that tackles were allowed right off the bat. I made the mistake of going easy on Eli when she spear tackled me in the gut, snatched the Frisbee from my hand and pranced away, graceful as ever. I lost count of the number of times I was thrown to the ground or had the wind knocked out of me. When we were finally too tired to keep playing, we all collapsed around the picnic basket. Mr Chair grinned at us all, our faces sheened with sweat, breathing heavily. I flopped onto my back, staring up through the branches of the tree above me at the sky. Cry sat beside me, leaning on one arm, his hand resting beside my head.

We lazed around laughing and chatting, Stephano poking fun at Mr Chair at every opportunity – as he usually did – until his dad came to pick him up. It wasn't long after that that everyone else's rides arrived and it was just Cry and I relaxing in the shade of the huge tree above us.

We sat in silence for a while, enjoying the peacefulness of the park. Well, I was at least. I think Cry was still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people here. I sat up and moved closer to him, taking his hand. He flinched a little, as if he'd been deep in thought. He smiled at me tenderly and looked back out over the park.

"How are you feeling?" I asked tentatively. He tensed up a little.

"I'm okay." He said quietly. "It's really scary being outside without my mask on… But I feel better with you here." He gave me another small smile, blush colouring his cheeks. "I feel kind of… naked without my mask."

I chuckled softly and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. His blush deepened to scarlet and he pushed me away softly.

"What is it?" I asked, a little disappointed.

"There's just… There are so many people." He murmured sheepishly. I looked at him lovingly, sweeping his hair out of his face. He shrank into himself again and looked up at me shyly. He was cute when he was nervous.

"It's okay, Cry. What does it matter what other people think, anyway?"

He bit his lip and looked away, blushing. "I-I don't know… I'm just not good in, uh, social situations." He picked at the grass, deliberately trying not to look at me. "It's different behind my mask… I mean, I still hate crowds, but it's more bearable with my mask on. It's kind of like a screen between me and the rest of the world, cutting me off, protecting me."

"Protecting you from what?" He quickly glanced at me, sensing the concern in my voice.

"I'm just not a people person…" He hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "I get… anxiety attacks a lot. That's why I started wearing my mask in the first place… I thought it might help me get over things if I wasn't so paranoid about people studying my face. I guess it worked to some extent. I don't freak out at every sidelong anymore, but I'm still not good with people." He paused for a few moments, a thoughtful look on his face. "Do you remember the first day we met? When I thought you were Russ and I went to ask you how to do the maths question I was stuck on..?" I nodded, feeling a little uneasy. Cry breathed deeply. "Well, I got so freaked out when I realised you were a stranger that I had to supress the urge to be sick and to stop my body from shaking."

"I did notice you seemed a little shaken, but I didn't think it was that bad…" I trailed off and Cry turned back to me, smiling weakly.

"Nobody ever sees. It's okay, Felix. You couldn't have known… Truly, if it wasn't for you I'd still be wearing my mask right now." He sighed and moved closer to me again. "I guess it's a step in the right direction, even if it makes me… uncomfortable." Neither of us spoke for a while after that. Cry continued to stare nervously at the people in the park, and I solemnly stared at his profile.

I had no idea Cry had such bad anxiety… I mean, I knew he wore the mask because he felt insecure, but I had no idea it was this bad. I took Cry's hand again and laid my head on his shoulder, grateful that this time he didn't pull away.

"I'm glad you trust me enough to show me your face." I whispered. "And to be able to leave your mask off in public with me… It means a lot that you trust me so much."

"I'm surprised myself… I've never trusted anyone like this, besides my immediate family of course." He paused, sighing. "I can't explain it but you make me feel so safe and secure, like no one could ever hurt me. It's nice."

I smiled at that and tightened my hold around him. We stayed like that for a while, I'm not sure how long, people-watching and just enjoying the nice weather and the comfortable silence between us.

**Cry's POV**

Felix and I had been dating for almost two months now. We were sitting in our usual spot in the courtyard with Cher and Piggeh, watching as construction workers toiled away on a new addition to our school. None of us knew what it was, but it was going up fast. It was the final part of a new floor that had been added to one of the college's buildings. It was mostly offices for the teachers, and we would've assumed this new room was too if not for its size. It was a huge room, almost half as long as the gym and nearly as wide. There was also a staircase leading into it from outside, as well as the door we could see that led to an adjoining corridor.

I started slightly when a falling leaf suddenly landed on my head. I brushed it off and looked up at the tree we were sitting under. Already about a quarter of its leaves were going yellow. Some were already deep shades of red and orange near the ends of the branches. I picked up the leave I'd brushed off my head, inspecting its dry, orangey form. I loved autumn leaves, I'd always thought they were beautiful and they were my favourite part of the season. Felix noticed me turning the fragile leaf around in my hands and I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. I playfully flicked the leaf at his face and he flinched a little, making me laugh. He shushed me, trying and failing to act cross. I stared him down until he couldn't hold the scowl any longer and he burst into laughter. Piggeh and Cher paused in their own conversation to see what was so funny, and I noticed Cher smile at us before turning back to Piggeh.

I scooted closer to Felix and he put his arm around my shoulders, and I laid my head on his shoulder. I wasn't as nervous anymore about the two of us acting like a couple in public. We'd talked about it a week or so earlier and had decided that if people didn't like the thought or sight of the two of us, then they could shove it where the sun don't shine (those were Felix's words, not mine). I'd tried to act as nonchalant about it as he was, but truthfully… I was afraid. I was afraid of what people would think of us, me, when they saw Felix and me together. I didn't want to be bullied again… I'd endured enough of that as a child.

A shiver ran up my spine as I remembered the torture I went through at the hands of my peers. Countless times I'd had my head flushed down the toilet, been pushed into the dirt, had locker doors opened into my face… And then there were the black and swollen eyes, the cuts and scrapes I got while running or trying to break free, the fractures and even a couple of broken bones. I had donned my mask in middle school when my mum took my brother and me to a new school in a new town when the violence began to find Andy too. I called myself Cryaotic and blended in the best I could. I was still teased for being different, but at least no one knew my true identity. No one knew anything but the mask and my fake name. I wished I could tell Felix about my past, to share that dark part of myself with him, but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't show anyone that part of me… I didn't want to be hurt anymore.

Cher coughed, suddenly and violently, pulling me out of that train of thought. I asked her if she was okay, concerned at how painful that cough had sounded.

"I'm fine." She said, giving me a convincing smile. "I'm just tired and sick. I think I'm getting the flu or something." I frowned at her, and her smile faltered under my gaze, despite the fact she could not see my expression beneath my mask. It was then I noticed how painfully thin she was. Her collarbone jutted out below her neck, and her arms were pencil thin. I couldn't see from the way she was sitting, but I wouldn't have been surprised if her hip bones stuck out too. I kicked myself for not noticing sooner… She was so pale, and the bags under eyes were a deep blue, though she'd covered them with makeup and concealer. She turned away from me defensively and pulled her long sleeves over her hands. I stared at the back of her head for a few moments longer, thinking. I tore my gaze away, deciding that I had to say something to her later. I couldn't leave her looking so sickly and frail.

The rest of the day passed as usual, with Felix kissing the cold forehead of my mask before heading off to his last class. I had a free period so I made my way to the library to get some study done. The place was empty except for a few other years twelves scattered around the room. I made my way to my usual spot in the far corner of the library to find Cher sitting alone at the table. She had a book open in front of her but didn't seem to be reading. I sat down next to her, a concerned look on my face, and I quietly asked if she was okay. She shook her head slowly and looked up at me. I recoiled slightly in shock when I saw that her face was streaked with mascara and tears.

"Cher…" I said softly. "D-did something h-happen?" She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. A heartbreakingly determined expression appeared on her face as she fought to still her quivering lip and stop the tears from falling again. I sat awkwardly beside her, entirely unsure of what to do. I bit my lip, rolling it between my teeth slightly – I really needed to stop doing that, if I kept at it I'd lose my bottom lip entirely one day. I raised my eyes once more to look at Cher. She seemed to have her emotions under some sort of control now. I tried to say something, anything to make her feel better, but everything I'd gone over in my head during the day was completely gone.

Since I had no words, I awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder, gazing at her grimly though my mask. She obviously took this gesture as an invitation for a hug, for she let out a small sob and threw her arms around my neck. My whole body tensed up as she wound her arms around my neck. After a few moments I forced myself to calm down, fighting back the urge to run and hide, and returned the hug. She prolonged the hug for a few minutes, though it felt like hours to me, until she finally released me and settled back into her chair. I shuddered slightly, grateful to be free of the surprise contact. I kind of felt bad for not wanting her to touch me like that, but I couldn't help it. Cher sighed shakily and looked up at me, green eyes sparkling and full of tears.

"I'm sorry, Cry. I really needed that… I'm sorry if I invaded your space." She said in a small, sad voice.

"Don't be sorry. I-it's okay." I tried to sound confident despite the fact that my whole body was screaming that it was not okay. "Do you want to talk about anything?" Cher shook her head, no. "Alright…" We sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence for a few moments. "Cher?"

"Yeah, Cry?"

"You know, you can talk to me about anything." I intoned softly. "I might not be very good with people at times, and I may not be able to fix anything… But I'll always listen, okay?" She nodded, eyes fixed on my mask. "You know I love you, Cher. You're an amazing girl." She looked at me with teary eyes, and then got up to leave, murmuring a thank you and an apology. I wondered where those last few words came from. They felt like the right thing to say, and I did love Cher. Over the last month she'd become like a sister to me.

I sat in the library alone for the rest of the class. I really was worried about Cher. I worried about how thin she was. I needed to tell Felix… I wouldn't stand idly by and let Cher waste away to nothing before my very eyes because I was too shy to be able to help her. I decided I'd tell Felix after school that day, and tried to knuckle down and get a little work done in what little time was left of class.


	9. Chapter 8 Part 2 - Mr Chair

_**Author's Note**_

_Okay, so I just decided to go ahead and write this chapter from Cher's POV. If you hate it, let me know :) I would really like to give some occasional insight on Cher, Stephano and Piggeh, but if you bros don't like it then there isn't much point. So yeah, give me your opinions on it! I'll do more if you want. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 8 – Part B**

**Mr Chair's POV**

I lagged behind the others a little after the bell went and we were walking to our usual spot. When I was sure they wouldn't notice I ducked down another corridor and away from my friends. I broke into a cold sweat as I briskly made my way through the school to the girl's bathroom. I checked it was empty before locking myself in stall and sitting on the closed toilet seat. I crossed my arms over my tummy and curled forward a little bit, my breath shaky. _Just do it, Cher,_ I thought, trying to sum up some confidence. _Just get it over with… You need to do this… Think of what it'll get you._ I took a few deep, shaky breaths and stood up, poking my head out the stall door to check that no one else had come in. When I was sure the coast was clear I locked the stall again and turned to look at the toilet. I took another few deep breaths, steadier this time, and crouched before the toilet, lifting the lid. I screwed my nose up at the unappealing smell of ammonia. I rolled up the sleeves of my college blazer, tears forming in my eyes as my gaze was caught by the myriad scars running up my forearms, partially covered by rubber wristbands and a couple of small Band-Aids where I'd cut a little too deep. I looked away from them, ashamed, and compulsively scratched at my wrist, drawing a droplet of blood. I sat up a little more on my knees and leaned over the toilet bowl. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I steeled myself and did it…

…I purged. I kept doing it until I was sure there was nothing left in my stomach. I sobbed once, flushed the toilet and left the stall. I scrubbed my hands viciously at the tap until they were red, taking out all my emotions on making them clean. But they never felt clean. Not really.

I sighed and lifted my gaze to look at myself in the mirror. I frowned at my ghostly reflection. My straightened hair had begun to curl at the tips. I smoothed it out a little, feeling a pang of appreciation for my natural white blonde colouring. It was one of the few things I really loved about myself. I leaned towards the mirror, inspecting my eyebrows. I grimaced slightly when I saw how horrid they looked; I needed to book myself in to get them waxed again. It was then I noticed that my makeup had run a little, leaving black rims under my eyes; I carefully wiped the blackness away until my skin was clear. I stared at my reflection a little longer, touching my protruding collarbone proudly and smiling slightly. I rolled down my sleeves, popped an Eclipse mint into my mouth and left the bathroom.

…

…

"Hey, where'd you go?" Pewdie asked cheerfully as I approached them and sat down next to Piggeh.

"I had to use the bathroom." I said quietly, shrugging. Piggeh elbowed me playfully in the ribs.

"You should have said so! I was talking to you for a good ten yards before I realised you weren't there!" I laughed and apologised. I looked over at the construction being done on one of the buildings, shivering slightly in the chill air. I sat comfortably next to Piggeh, chatting with him about seeing a movie on the weekend. Cry and Pewdiepie were talking quietly behind us. _They're such a cute couple,_ I thought, smiling to myself. I was so glad they'd gotten together. I could hardly stand it when Pewds talked about him before they'd started dating; I just knew they'd end up together. Though whenever I'd said that to Pewds he'd just shake his head, blush and laugh it off. Piggeh nudged me softly, dragging me away from my thoughts. I adjusted my fringe under my navy blue beanie as I shifted to face him.

"What movie should we see on Friday night, Mr Chair?" He asked softly, cheerily grinning at me.

"I'm not sure." I shrugged, smiling back at him.

"Well, what about Hansel and Gretel? Or do you want to see something girlier?" He teased

I crossed my arms over my tummy self-consciously and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I've actually wanted to see it."

"Yeah? Sweet." He said, still smiling broadly at me. "We could invite Stephano too, it'd be fun!"

"Yeah, that sounds great." I said, my mood lifting. "I'm looking forward to it." Suddenly the air caught in my throat and my body was racked by a painful coughing fit. I had tears in my eyes when it was over. I wiped them away quickly and sniffed, my nose running too. I think I was coming down with something.

"Are you alright, Cher?" Cry asked worriedly. I turned and gave him a small smiled, assuring him that I was fine, just sick. He gazed at me for a few moments, his eyes barely visible in the shade of his mask. I felt more and more intimidated as he looked down at me. I saw his eyes flick from my face to my neck and back again, and I automatically hid my neck with my sleeved wrist, habitually going on the defensive. I thought I heard him sigh as he turned back to Pewds. I curled up a little bit more when I turned back to Piggeh, trying to find solace in my slightly-too-big blazer.

…

…

I made my way to the library after lunch. Cry and I both had a free period and I knew he'd be in there. The way he'd looked at me at lunch… I went to Cry's usual spot in the library and, finding he wasn't there yet, set my bag down on the table and took a seat. I took the novel I was reading out of my bag to read as I waited, and I fiddled with my black, manicured nails as I lost myself in the story. I breathed in sharply as I accidentally chipped some of the polish off. I stared at the ruined polish and my lip started to quiver. It was like everything I was holding in concentrated into that tiny chip of nail polish, and I just lost it. My eyes welled up with tears and despite my best efforts to supress it, a quiet sob escaped my lips. I hung my head, sobbing again, letting the tears run down my cheeks, my hair falling to cover my face. I had managed to quell my shaking body by the time Cry approached the table. I heard his footsteps on the soft carpet as he came up to me and sat down.

"A-are you okay, Cher?" He asked. I could hear the worry in his voice. I shook my head and looked up at him and he flinched slightly, seeing the black mascara streaked down my face.

"Cher… Did something happen?" He murmured gently. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again as I felt another sob rising in my throat. I desperately fought to still my shaking lip and to hold back my tears. After a few moments I had it sort of under control. Cry comfortingly put his hand on my shoulder, and I lost it again. I made a choked sound and threw my arms around his neck, my body convulsing as I cried on his shoulder. After a moment he put his arms around my shoulders and softly rubbed my back. After a couple of minutes I got my emotions back in check and pulled away from him, wiping my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cry… I really needed that." I said uncertainly. "I'm sorry if I invaded your space." He said it was fine and asked if I wanted to talk. I shook my head, not trusting my voice, not wanting to say anything because I knew that if I did the floodgates would open and everything would come tumbling out. We sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments until Cry spoke up again.

"Cher?"

"Yeah, Cry?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything. I might not be very good with people at times, and I may not be able to fix anything… But I'll always listen, okay?" He said softly, and I could hear the concern in his voice. I looked into his eyes through his emotionless mask and nodded shyly. "I love you, Cher." I felt my lip start quivering again and the tears threaten to start up again. "You're an amazing girl." That was what made me snap. Tears started rolling down my cheeks and I hurriedly put my book away and stood, slinging my back over my shoulders.

"Thank you, Cry… You really have no idea how much that means to me." I said shakily. I touched his shoulder on my way past him gratefully and left.

My head was spinning with miserable thoughts as I walked home. I felt bad for my little outburst with Cry. I sighed heavily, trying to think of happier things. I thought of Piggeh's invitation to go to the movies with him and Stephano on Friday. The thought of being in a darkened theatre with Stephano made colour rise in my cheeks and butterflies to swirl in my stomach.

I went straight to my room when I got home. Mum still wasn't home. Typical. Mum and I lived alone in our apartment downtown, though she was rarely home. She was always at the office working or away on a 'business trip'. Sometimes it really was a business trip, but usually she was just at some sleazy hotel sleeping with some guy… I guess it was more than half the reason we lived in such a gorgeous apartment, but I couldn't help but harbour some resentment towards my mother.

I dumped my bag on the floor near my wardrobe and took off my school uniform. I hung it all up in the closet and closed the door, looking at my near naked self in the mirror doors. I scanned my body from my feet up. I gazed proudly at my thigh gap, my protruding hip bones, my flat tummy, my jutting collarbone, my bony arms, my slim wrists. Even my fingers were slender. I ran my fingers over my ribs, just visible beneath my pale skin.

I tied up my blonde hair and put on some shorts and a sweatshirt, deciding to go for a run. Seeing my tiny body was just the pick-me-up I needed. I loved to see that my hard work exercising and fasting was paying off. I walked to the front door to put on my sneakers and, as I was tying my laces, I froze, remembering Cry's eyes in the library. He'd looked so worried… A felt a pang of guilt in my gut and felt my good mood slip away. I wasn't stupid… I knew that starving myself and exercising until I practically passed out was bad for me. But I couldn't stop. I didn't really want to anymore. I knew it was the purging that was the worst. I knew it would all catch up with me soon and I'd get really sick, maybe even end up in the hospital. I'd always thought that I'd rather die young and thin than be old and fat. But after what Cry had said… That he cared about me… I shook my head, pushing the thought away and finishing tying my laces. I plugged in my headphones, put my phone in my pocket and left the apartment, locking the door behind m. Running made me feel good, so did being thin. I wouldn't let myself get sick. I wouldn't let it get to that.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note:**_

_Sorry this chapter is so late everyone. I have been so busy with school this week it's crazy. I've had outcomes for all my classes to prepare for. Three down this week, two to go next week. But hopefully now I'll have a chance write some more._

_Again, sorry bros. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

**Chapter 9**

**Cry's POV**

I sighed and snuggled up against Felix and he put his arm around my shoulders. We were watching a movie at my house. Mum had taken Andrew to a birthday party, so we had the house to ourselves for a few hours. I munched on a corn chip and stared absently at the television. I had been so confident that telling Felix about what happened with Cher was a good idea… but now I wasn't so sure. I remained silent until the movie ended then, when the credits were rolling, I shifted to look up at Felix.

"Felix?"

"Yeah, Cry?" He smiled down at me, tracing his fingers over my shoulder.

"If… If one of your friends– your close friends, was uh… doing themselves harm a-and you were really worried about them, do you think it would be right to keep it to yourself if you think that person doesn't want anyone else to know?"

Felix's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Who are you talking about, Cry?" I tried to look away from him, to look anywhere but at him, but he took my chin in his hand and forced me to face him. "Cry. Tell me." I bit my lip anxiously and stared at a point to the right of his head.

"Uh… I-it's Cher…" I said hesitantly. "I don't know for sure but… I'm worried about her." Felix let go of my chin and I continued. "She was waiting for me in the library the other day. She was crying… She just seems so distant and sad lately." My voice started shaking despite my best efforts to sound confident. Felix was silent for a few minutes as he processed what I had told him.

"We need to… to do something." He said slowly, uncertainly.

"I doubt she even wanted me to know anything was wrong, Felix." I said quietly. "Who knows what she'll do if she finds out I told you."

"We have to do _something_ though, Cry. We can't just… leave her like that." I looked into his eyes and noticed tears were forming there. I gently wiped them away with my thumb.

"I know, Felix… We should tell Stephano and Piggeh. They might know what to do." Felix nodded sombrely.

"We should have an intervention or something for her." Felix said grimly.

…

…

"She _what_?!"

"Piggeh, shush."

It was the following Friday at school and Felix and I had just told Piggeh and Stephano what was going on with Cher. We'd continually tried throughout the week but there hadn't been many opportunities, and we didn't really know how to say it. Stephano remained silent after hearing the news, sombrely gazing into the distance. After a few minutes he spoke up.

"She obviously needs help." He said matter-of-factly. "She can't be left on her own to deal with this. I'll talk to her." Piggeh and Felix nodded in agreement.

"Shouldn't we all talk to her?" I asked uncertainly. "I mean, she'll know I'm the one that told you anyway, Stephano. Shouldn't she know we're all there for her?"

"It's okay, Cry. Let me handle it." He said gently. "She might freak out if we all sit her down and interrogate her about it."

"It wouldn't be an interrogation." I argued. "We'd just be letting her know that we're here."

"Just let Stephano talk to her." Felix murmured softly, gently taking my arm. I frowned but conceded. I decided that I'd talk to Cher myself later.

Not long after we'd finished talking about her, Cher came to join us at the table. Stephano immediately got up and led her a bit away from us, talking to her in a hushed voice.

"Why wouldn't he let us help?" I asked Piggeh quietly.

"You don't know?" He asked, an astonished expression on his face. "I couldn't make it to the movies on Friday so Cher and Stephano went on their own. Afterwards he messaged me saying that me not being there actually turned into a good thing, things got a little… raunchy." Piggeh winked and I blushed. Felix raised an eyebrow at Piggeh.

"Raunchy. Really. Stephano said raunchy." Felix smirked.

"Well, I'm paraphrasing a bit." Piggeh shrugged. "He kissed her."

"O-on the lips?" I stammered.

Piggeh snorted derisively. "No way. On the cheek. Stephano is way too awkward with girls to just go ahead and kiss her on the mouth."

"Since when was Stephano interested in Mr Chair?" I asked, confused and kind of annoyed that no one told me.

"He's liked Mr Chair on and off for the past few years." Piggeh said, getting excited at the chance to gossip. I nodded, absorbing this new information.

"I never would've thought he was so awkward with girls… I mean, look at him. He's hot." I exclaimed. Felix mock frowned at me and elbowed me in the ribs. I poked my tongue out at him and a smile broke through, lighting up his face. "From what I've heard he's liked by a lot of girls."

"Things have always been that way." Piggeh said. "He's always been the good-looking, awkward one in the group. Though it's Mr Chair who's the real introvert. Before Felix and Stephano came along, I was her only friend." Piggeh said in a sad tone.

"Why do you always call her 'Mr' Chair?" I asked. "Why always refer to her as a guy?" Felix shrugged.

"We just always have. When we met in preschool I thought she was a boy because our teacher pronounced her name wrong. It was like a whole two weeks before I realised she was a girl." I couldn't help but laugh at that. Silence fell over us as we sat and watched Stephano and Cher talking.

"Do you think we've contributed to her being so sad?" Piggeh asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "I mean, we tease her all the time."

"Yeah, but she knows we're joking, right?" Felix asked uncertainly. They both looked towards me for answers, and I reflexively shrunk under their combined gaze.

"I-I don't think you guys are the reason she's upset." I said haltingly. "I mean, it didn't seem like it when I spoke to her, and she never mentioned anything about you guys." Neither of them spoke.

Eventually Stephano and Cher came back to re-join us. Cher was blushing fiercely, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. Stephano casually took a seat on the table, unreadable as always. I gazed curiously between the both of them, wondering what could've happened.

**Pewdie's POV**

I caught up with Stephano after lunch, wondering what he and Mr Chair had talked about earlier.

"It was nothing… I, uh, I'm going to go stay with her for a while." Stephano said, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"Did you say anything about…"

"Yeah, I did. I said I knew about it all and I wanted to help her." He said. I nodded, not quite knowing what to say now. "I think it'd be best if no one else said anything to her about any of this. She assumed that Cry told me about it all, so I said that he and I are the only ones that know."

"Yeah, okay. I'll let Cry and Piggeh know…"

"Thanks, bro."

"Hey, don't even worry about it." I gave Stephano a quick hug and crossed the hall to where Cry was waiting and we headed off to class.

The classroom was noisier than usual today in maths. Everyone was going on about this massive party some girl was planning for the weekend. A group of girls were babbling about some guy from Silver Tail that was going to be there. The way they were going on about him you'd have thought he were a gift from the heavens.

"He sounds like a bitch." Cry mumbled, making me laugh. One of the girls turned away from her friends to shoot a death glare in our general direction. Cry and I both started laughing when she turned away. We spent the next half hour listening to their gossiping about this new guy until Mr England got sick of it and told them to shut up or he'd move them. They kept talking in hushed voices, their shrillness still carrying across the room. At the end of class Mr England gave us back the outcomes we'd done a few weeks before, the one Cry had been stressed about.

"Alright! 98%" I exclaimed happily. "What did you get?" I leaned over to Cry.

"89%" He said. I could hear the surprise in his voice, and could see the smile in his eyes. "Thank you, Felix! I wouldn't have been able to manage that without your help." It was my turn to be surprised when he lifted his mask to expose his mouth and leaned forward to kiss my cheek. I turned bright red as we received more than a few strange looks from our classmates. One dark haired girl glared at Cry viciously. I shot one back at her that was equally as venomous and she went pale, turning away with an embarrassed look on her face. She whispered something to her friend and they both turned back to look at us. I stared back at them stonily, my expression verging on a scowl. The dark haired girl averted her gaze ashamedly, her friend's expression was unreadable. They looked away and I stared after them for a little longer until Cry got my attention again.

"What's wrong, Felix?" He asked softly.

"Nothing. Just shutting up some gossips." I saw his eyes widen a little under his mask. "It's okay, they just gave us a look." I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and packed up my books; it was almost the end of class. Cry relaxed a little and packed his stuff up too.

**Three Weeks Later**

I stood in front of my open locker thinking about what subjects I had homework for over the weekend. I pouted at the messy stack of books and grabbed all the stuff I thought I might need. I slung my backpack over one shoulder and turned to look around for Cry. I saw him chatting happily with his friends. I wandered over to them when I realised I neither of us had spent a lot of time with them lately. The girl he was talking to raised an eyebrow at me as I approached, looking me up and down. I think she'd had dark blonde hair last time I'd seen her, but had dyed it a dark, vibrant red since. The guy standing next to her was at least a head taller than the girl. Taller, even, than myself. And he had a dark brown curly mass of hair. I placed a hand on the small of Cry's back when I reached them and I felt his muscles tense momentarily beneath my fingers.

"F-Felix." He stammered. "You remember my friends, right?" I nodded and greeted the pair standing before me.

"Tam and… Russ, correct?" They all nodded and Russ grinned at me, Tam nodding her head in approval. She seemed to be sceptical of me, though she didn't give any overt signals, I got the impression that she didn't like me very much. Russ however seemed fine. He was friendly enough.

"Call me Red." Tam smiled. "Everyone else has been lately."

"Sure." I smiled back.

Cry and I chatted with the two of them for a few minutes before Russ realised that he and Red had to catch the bus.

"Come on, Red." He said fondly, taking Reah by the hand. "Let's go. Cya Cry, Felix." They raced off towards the bus loop, and I was about to follow them after giving Cry a quick goodbye when he grabbed my hand. He tugged me back towards him and held my hands, slightly swinging them to and fro.

"Felix, do you want to come to my house for dinner tonight?" He asked nervously.

"Of course, Cry." I laughed. "I'd love to."

"Good. Mum said I should invite you over sometime, so I figured tonight was as good as any. Plus Andy hasn't shut up about you. He wants to show you some new toys he got." Cry said, his smile evident in his voice.

…

…

I softly closed Cry's front door behind me as he yelled out to let his mum know we were here. She yelled back a hello and I heard a loud scraping of a stool on the kitchen tiles and a rapid padding of a child's feet as Andy rushed to greet us. He leapt at Cry, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"You're home!" He cried happily. "How was your day?" I smiled at him as Cry told him all about it, and he shyly looked away from me.

"Felix is here." Cry eventually said, turning his brother's shoulders so he faced me. Andy nodded shyly and shuffled closer to Cry. "What's wrong, buddy? I thought you wanted him to come over?" I smiled at Cry's little brother again and he gave me a small smile in return. Cry laughed and said, "Say hi, buddy. He isn't going to bite." I bared my teeth at Andy in a fierce grin and he laughed, moving away from Cry a little.

"Hi, Felix." He giggled. "Come look! I got some new toys!" I laughed at his sudden enthusiasm as he took my hand and led me up the stairs. Cry followed us, grinning broadly. Andy led me to his room at the end of the upstairs hall. He let go of my hand and ran to a big chest in the corner and started rummaging through it, looking for his toys. Cry caught up and paused next to me in the doorway. I looped an arm around his waist and pulled him close to me. He stumbled slightly, but quickly regained his balance and leaned into me. Andy soon came bolting back over to us, telling us to come in and play with his new toys with him. We sat on his bedroom floor and played with his new Ben 10 toys for the next few hours until dinner was ready.

…

…

"That was lovely, thankyou Ms Terry." I said, neatly putting my knife and fork down on my empty plate.

"Oh please, Felix. Call me Sandra!" She said, waving a hand at me and rising to clear to the table. Cry and I both moved to help her but she shooed us away. "No, no, no. I can do it. You two go and relax." Cry shrugged and led me upstairs to his room. We heard his mum yelling for Andrew to go have a bath as he closed the door. I sprawled out on his king-sized bed, sighing contentedly. I lay starfished for a moment before shifting into a more comfortable position and putting my hands behind my head. Cry walked over and laid down next to me, draping his arm over my chest. I looked over at him and smiled, glad that he'd taken his mask off when we'd gotten home. It made me so happy that he trusted me enough to leave it off when I was there. I knew it was hard for him. I rolled onto my side facing him and cupped his cheek in my hand, making him blush. We gazed at each other for a few moments until Cry's smile faltered and his breath caught in his throat.

"What's wrong, Cry?" I asked worriedly. He averted his gaze, looking anywhere but at me. I moved a small bit closer to him and made him look at me. "Cry. Tell me what's wrong."

He bit his lip anxiously, but eventually said in a quiet voice. "I… I think…" He sighed frustratedly and buried his face in his duvet. "Nev…ind…" I could barely hear his muffled whisper. I gazed at him, concerned, and propped myself up on one elbow. He kept his face buried in the blanket until I started running my fingers through his hair comfortingly.

"You can tell me anything, Cry… You know that right?" I murmured. He propped himself up with his arms and looked over at me. He looked afraid and he was really tense. I kept winding my fingers through his soft brown hair, hoping it would loosen him up a bit. After a minute or two he seemed to be a lot calmer. He wriggled forward and snuggled into my chest. I put my arms around him and held him tight. We stayed that way for a while, both relishing in the other's touch.

"Felix? I… I love you." Cry eventually murmured, his voice barely audible against my chest. I smiled and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Is that what you looked so worried about before?" I asked teasingly, and he giggled nervously.

"Y-yeah. I didn't really know how to say it…" I stayed silent for a little while, savouring the moment, his words.

"Cry, I–" I began.

"It's Ryan…" He breathed, cutting me off.

"What?"

"M-my name… It's really Ryan." I went silent again as I processed this new information. After a few minutes, "I love you too, Ryan."


	11. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note**_

_Hey guys! This chapter contains a teeny little bit of smut. Only a really little bit, and not even really that smutty… But I thought I should still give a warning to those who don't want to read it :) I'll put in a warning when it gets there too. I've never written anything smutty before, so tell me if it's terrible haha. Thank you for all your support bros *love heart*_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 10**

**Cry's POV**

I jumped in fright, rocking the bed, when my mum called out to Felix and me from downstairs. He chuckled and squeezed me tight, kissing the top of my head. Mum yelled out again when she didn't hear us coming. Apparently Andrew was going to watch The Lion King and he wanted us to come watch it too. I sighed, disentangling myself from Felix's arms and rising to go downstairs. He followed me and, as I opened the door and went to leave, he looped an arm around my waisted pulled me back towards him. He pressed himself against me, leaning close, and kissed me. I was surprised at the intensity with which he pressed lips to mine, the passion with which he traced my lips with his tongue, sending shivers up my spine. He pulled away and I couldn't help but gasp as he grinded his hips against mine. He grinned mischievously and I went scarlet. He kissed me again, softer this time, and let go of me, turning me around and nudging me out the door. He slapped my ass as we got to the stairs, making me jump again. I glared at him playfully and hit him before we went down to join my brother.

Andy was bouncing excitedly on the fluffy rug as Felix and I took a seat on the couch. We snuggled up together in the corner of it, Felix wrapping his arms around my chest and me laying my head on his shoulder. I tossed a blanket over us to fend of the chill in the room and mum pressed play on the movie and left to mend some clothing. Andy shrieked excitedly as the movie started and wiggled around under his blankets. The 'Circle of Life' started playing and I grinned happily. The Lion King was my favourite movie as a kid. I hummed along with the song, tapping my fingers to the beat on Felix's knee.

Andy leapt up when they started singing 'I Just Can't Wait To Be King', grabbing my hand and making me get up sing and dance along to it. I felt a little embarrassed at first – Felix had never seen me acting silly with my brother, but I soon dismissed it and danced and sang along with Andy. We always sang and danced to the songs in Disney movies, and we knew almost all of them.

Andy and I danced around the room, singing the song at the top of our lungs. My brother was giggling hysterically as I swung him around the room. Felix was laughing too, still seated in the corner of the couch. I grabbed his hand during the chorus and pulled him out of seat, beckoning him to join in. He hesitantly let Andy take his arm and twirl around the room. He moved awkwardly at first but, seeing how enthusiastic Andy and I were, he soon joined in fully.

"Everybody look left! Everybody look right! Everywhere you look I'm standing in the spotliiiiggghht!" I sang, leaping off the coffee table and sliding along the carpet on my knees.

"_Not_ yet!" Andy cried in his best Zazu voice. Felix joined in on the final few lines and we all belted them out, collapsing into a fit off laughter as the song ended.

We were all sprawled on the couch when the next scene started, breathing heavily from the dancing.

"That was fun." Felix said, chuckling. "I haven't acted like that since… I don't even know." Andy jumped up again excitedly.

"We always sing along to the songs in Disney! Don't we, Ry-" My brother clapped his hands over his mouth and stared at me with wide eyes. I laughed and assured him it was okay.

"Felix knows my real name, buddy. It's okay to say it." I chuckled. Andy's eyes widened even further and gazed, awestruck, at Felix.

"But… You never tell _anyone_ your name, Ryan!" He exclaimed, making Felix and I laugh. "You must really love him." Felix stopped laughing abruptly and looked down at my brother, a funny look on his face.

"Y-yeah, I do, buddy. I love him as much as I love you and mum." I blushed and affectionately punched Andy's arm. My little brother nodded, the awestruck look still on his face. "Hey, I'll be back in a sec, guys." I said, rising. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Can you get us some snacks?" Andy asked excitedly. I grinned and said I would.

…

…

I stood at the door of the pantry, scanning the shelves for snack food. I grabbed a packet of popcorn and chucked it in the microwave. I stood watching it pop and thinking about Felix. Andy was right, I really loved him. I smiled when I thought of my brother. I was glad he was young enough to see no problems with Felix and I being the same gender. I thought about how Felix had kissed me before we'd come downstairs. I blushed deeply, recalling how he'd slapped me. He was so… forward. Admittedly, it kind of scared me. I'd never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend before… I'd never even really had that many friends. After I first donned my mask I'd become very solitary. I'd befriended Russ at the end of grade five when he'd defended me from a bully, and then he met Red and they started dating. The two of them along with Scott and Eli had been my only real friends until I met Felix. Even then, if it wasn't for his outgoing personality and my social stumble, we probably never would've even become friends let alone… a couple. I smiled to myself. _Felix and I are a couple_, I thought happily. I was so happy I'd met Felix, despite my awkwardness and my nervousness at what the future held for us.

I sighed and took the cooked popcorn out of the microwave, ripped open the bag and tipped them into a bowl. I sprinkled icing sugar over it and took it back to the lounge room.

"Alright, here you go guys." I said as I placed the popcorn on the coffee table and sat down next to Felix. I raised an eyebrow when I saw his and Andy's suspicious expression. "What have you two been talking about while I was gone?" I asked teasingly.

"Nothing." Felix said cheekily. "We've just been watching the movie, right Andy?" Andrew nodded enthusiastically and stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. I smirked at Felix sceptically and turned back to the movie.

"Oh, Ryan! It's your favourite bit!" Andy suddenly cried. I looked at the TV screen and saw the end of 'Be Prepared' playing. I gasped and rewinded it back to the start of the song, Andy was jumping on the couch in anticipation. Felix started laughing again as Andy and I sang the song, dancing around the room with us. He even joined in on the chorus!

When the movie was over, mum came in and told Andrew it was time for bed. He grumbled and whined, begging her to let him stay up with Felix and me.

"But mum! I'm not even sleepy yet." He said, yawning expansively. Mum laughed and took him upstairs, and he called out goodnight to us groggily.

"Andrew's adorable." Felix laughed when they were both gone.

"Yeah. He's a great brother." I grinned.

"You guys are really funny. Do you really dance and sing to _all_ the songs in Disney movies?" He teased.

"All the ones we know." I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him. "And we know almost all of them."

"Ah, you're such a child." He chuckled, ruffling my hair. I shoved him away, trying to look mad. "Aw, did I hurt your feelings, Ryan?" Felix said sarcastically, making kissy noises at me. My heart skipped a beat at the use of my real name and I felt my cheeks grow hot. Felix laughed when he saw me blushing. He leaned forward, still making kissy noises at me, teasingly calling me 'Cry Baby' like Red did. I frowned at him, actually starting to feel irritated. Then I got an idea. _Child am I? _I thought. _I'll show him how immature I am._

_**(And so the semi-smut begins. **__Skip this bit if you're not interested :) I'll tell you when it's over. Just look for the bold.)_

Suddenly I wound my fingers into Felix's blonde hair and crushed my lips against his. I cut him off and he breathed in sharply in surprise, but quickly relaxed into the kiss. I pushed him onto his back, crawling forward to lie on top of him. My fingers were still tightly entangled in his hair as I kissed him, propping myself up on my elbows to be at a better angle. I knew I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised at how intensely Felix kissed me back. He leaned up just as much as I leaned down, pressing our bodies together. He put one arm around my waist and looped the other under my arm and up to clutch my shirt around my shoulder. I shifted slightly to take some weight off my elbows and Felix slipped his leg in between mine. I pressed down further on top of him, feeling my jeans start to grow tight. Felix's hand slid down my back and he hooked a thumb in the waistband of my jeans. He grinded his hips into mine and I gasped at the pressure, crushing my lips into his even harder, nipping softly at his lip. He made a deep, husky sound in the back of his throat and pulled away from me, repositioning me so he could plant soft kisses along my jaw and down my neck. He nipped me lightly where my neck met my shoulders and I bit back a groan. He chuckled softly at my reaction and traced his lips over my skin, barely touching me as he moved back up to my lips.

_**(And so it ends.) **_

Just as he was about to kiss me again we heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

We both froze at the sound of the footsteps, listening to see which direction they would go in. Suddenly, "Felix! Ryan! What do you two think you're doing?" I winced at the sound of mum's voice and scrambled off of Felix to sit further down on the couch. "Really boys, not in the living room! What if Andrew had seen you."

"Sorry, mum"

"Sorry, Ms Terry."

Felix and I were both bright red as mum lectured us about decency and what is appropriate for public view.

"In our defence, mum," I said when she was finished. "We _were_ alone. We didn't know that you'd come down and see us…"

"Yeah, we just got… carried away." Felix added. Mum's scowl softened as she saw how embarrassed we both were.

"Oh alright." She eventually sighed. "Just get carried away somewhere else next time! Felix, I've made up the bed in the spare room for you to sleep in tonight." My jaw dropped in surprise. The _spare bed?!_

"But mum! I thought he'd be staying in my room with me!" I cried in protest.

"Ryan, there will be no canoodling under this roof while I'm around." She said sternly. Felix looked as if he wanted to disappear.

"Mum! We wouldn't _do_ anything while you and Andy are here! You can trust us."

"Trust you? What were you just doing, Ryan?" She gestured to the couch and I fell silent. I guess she had a point.

"We wouldn't do anything…" I said weakly, knowing I'd lost this round.

"Ryan Terry. Felix will be sleeping in the spare room and that's final. End of discussion. Understood?" We both nodded meekly and mum nodded and left, saying that we should head off to bed soon because she didn't want us staying up too late and falling asleep on the couch. I scowled at her back as she disappeared into the kitchen, angry that she refused to even give Felix and I chance to earn her trust.

**Pewdie's POV**

I sunk into the couch, hoping I could just melt into it and disappear as Ryan and his mum argued. I really didn't mind sleeping in the spare room, though I'd been annoyed when we were interrupted a few minutes ago. Now I just felt humiliated. I'd been really surprised when Ryan had started kissing me like that; it wasn't like him at all to be so intimate. But I'd enjoyed it. It was nice having him take control like that. Maybe this meant he was coming out of his shell a bit more. I wondered if he'd want to take things further… I quickly dismissed the thought. No. Kissing is one thing, but I couldn't see Ryan being ready for sex so soon after he told me how nervous he was about that sort of stuff. We'd just take things one step at a time. I didn't want to rush him into something he wasn't comfortable with.

Cry scowled at his mother as she walked away. I scooted over to him and took his hand.

"It's okay, Ryan." I said softly. "I don't mind sleeping in the spare room."

"But we're both old enough and responsible enough to sleep in the same bed. There is no reason why we shouldn't be allowed to sleep together. And we've been together for almost _three months!_" He said emphatically. I sighed and pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay. It's not the end of the world. If we do as your mum says she'll be more likely to trust us in the future." I murmured, tracing my fingers up and down his arm. He made a muffled grunting sound that I assumed was in agreement and snuggled into me, wrapping his arms around my chest.

"Hey, how about we watch another movie?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. I felt Cry nod so I picked up his PlayStation controller and scrolled through his movies. "What sort of movie do you want to watch?" I asked. He shrugged, not looking at the television, so I nudged his head with my shoulder. "I'm going to need more than that." He sat up so he could see the TV, narrowing his eyes at the screen as I scrolled through the movies. I vaguely wondered how his eyesight was; with the way he was squinting it was almost like he was having trouble focusing on the screen.

"How about… Oh, let's watch The Matrix!" I looked at him doubtfully.

"Really? Isn't that movie pretty bad?"

"What?!" Ryan gasped in mock horror. "You've _never_ seen The _Matrix?!_" I shook my head, laughing as he gaped at me. He pressed play on the controller and settled back into my arms. "You're going to love this."

"Isn't it really bad?" I repeated. I hadn't heard much about this movie except that it was really unrealistic.

"It depends what you consider bad." He replied. "_I_ think it's awesome. Heck, _everyone I've ever met_ think it's awesome. You'll see when it gets into it." I smiled at his eagerness and focused on the movie. I guess I'd find out what it was like either way.

…

…

"That was so cool!" I cried as the movie finished.

"I told you." Ryan said matter-of-factly.

"There are sequels, right?" I asked excitedly and he nodded. "Let's watch them now!" I grabbed the controller and stopped the movie, scrolling down to play the second one. Before I could though Ryan took the controller away from me and turned off the PlayStation. I frowned at him and he took my hand and pulled me up off the couch.

"It's 1am, Felix. I'm too tired to watch another movie. Plus mum told us to go to bed." I pouted at him, not wanting to go to say goodnight. "Come on, you were the one who said we should do what she says." I sighed heavily and let him lead me upstairs. He was right. I should watch what I say in the future. He led me to my room and bid me goodnight, leaning up to kiss me. I hugged him tightly before he left and stood in the doorway to watch him go to his own room. I sighed and shut the bedroom door; I didn't _really_ want to sleep apart from Cry… But I guess I had no choice. I sighed again, took off my shirt, and slipped between the crisp white sheets. I'd just gotten comfortable when I realised I'd left the light on. I facepalmed and got up to turn it off. It took a long time for me to get comfortable again after that, but eventually I fell asleep.

…

…

I groaned and rolled over; trying to shut out the incessant tapping sound that had woken me up. When it didn't stop I went to the door and opened it angrily, ready to scold whoever had so rudely interrupted my sleep. I'd opened my mouth to speak when I realised that there was no one there. I frowned, doubtful that someone could've hidden themselves before I got to the door. I peered down the hallway and, seeing no one, was about to shut the door and go back to bed when I noticed an envelope on the ground in front of the door. Puzzled, I picked it up and, after a quick look down the hallway again, closed the door and sat on the bed. I turned on the lamp on the bedside table and inspected the envelope. It looked normal enough, a simple white postal envelope. It hadn't been sealed so I unfolded the piece of paper inside to read what was written on it.

'_We can't sleep in the same room, but that doesn't mean we can't spend at least some of the night together. Come outside, I'm waiting on the back patio._

_Cry'_

I smiled at the note and checked the time. It was 2:45am. I put on a shirt and hoodie and quietly padded down the hall. I froze at the top of the stairs when I heard movement behind me in the hallway, listening to see where it was coming from. I ducked down the stairs and out of sight as a door opened and someone walked down the hall towards me. I held my breath until I heard the bathroom door open and close. I exhaled heavily and made my way down the rest of the stairwell. I peered into the kitchen when I reached the bottom landing, making sure no one was around before quietly making my way to the back door. I pushed the blinds aside and slid the door open, leaving it ajar behind me. I looked out at the moonlit yard before peering around the porch, looking for my beloved Cry. I saw a figure standing at the far end of the patio and I walked towards him.

"Ryan?" I whispered. I saw a flash of movement to my left and whirled around in time to see a fist moments before it connected with my face. I was knocked back a few steps, but I recovered quickly. I drew back my fist to retaliate but someone grabbed my arm and turned me around. I looked up at the tall, black-clad figure before me, tugging against his iron grip on my arm. I looked back at the smaller man who'd struck me to see him retrieving a pair of FlexiCuffs from his coat pocket. My eyes widened and I struggled against my captor with a new sense of desperation. I swung a punch at his face and felt a crunch of cartilage as I connected with his nose. He cried out in pain and staggered back, clutching his bleeding face and letting go of my arm. I swung at the man holding the cuffs, my fist barely missing his face as he dodged sideways. Jesus, he was fast! The man slipped behind me and slipped one of the cuff loops around my wrist, pulling it tight. He dragged my arm backwards and downwards, throwing me off balance. I tried to yell out as I fell but a hand clamped over my mouth to smother the noise. I landed heavily on my side, the wind knocked out of me, my cuffed arm bent underneath me at a painful angle. The man grabbed my other arm and looped my other wrist into the cuffs, securing both my arms behind my back. I lay on the ground, defeated, trying to catch my breath. The taller man kicked me onto my stomach and put a heavy boot on my back, pinning me to the ground. I groaned in pain as my shoulders stretched against the joints and craned my neck to get a look at my captors.

"Who are you?" I demanded breathlessly, groaning as the man pressed his boot down harder.

"Shut your mouth." He growled. He had a bass voice, and it reverberated through his boot and into my body. The smaller man was a few feet away, dusting himself off and straightening his coat.

"Tell me what's… urgh… going on here!" I insisted. The small man looked down his nose at me.

"Shut him up, Jackson. We don't want anyone inside hearing his cries." He said passively. "We need to go."

Jackson took his foot off my back and dragged me to my feet by the collar of my hoodie. He pulled a grubby handkerchief out of his pocket and tried to shove it in my mouth. I screwed my face up and leaned away from it. I didn't want that thing in my mouth! It was filthy! Jackson shook me violently, causing my head to spin dangerously and he stuffed the hanky into my mouth. He pulled me towards the patio stairs and I dazedly staggered along beside him. When I realised we were heading for the gate leading to Ryan's front yard, I yanked myself back in the opposite direction, desperately trying to get the hanky out of my mouth, to yell, to do anything. Jackson angrily jerked me forward, throwing me into the fence. The smaller man shushed him viciously and told him to open the gate quietly. He tried to slide the bolt across, but it was too rusted and it screamed before he let it go. They both went silent and rigid as they listened for movement in the house. I frantically struggled in Jackson's grip, screaming through the gag for someone to wake up and come outside, for anyone to help me. Jackson belted me over the head when he was sure the house was quiet and scooped me up with both hands. Before I could work out what was happening I was sailing over the gate to land heavily on my arm. I cried out in pain as my shoulder was nearly popped out of its socket. My agonised groans were almost completely muffled by the handkerchief gag. I looked up through watery eyes to see a large black shape coming over the fence. I barely rolled away in time before Jackson landed with a thud right where I'd been laying. He reached back over the fence to hoist his friend over, then turned and slung me roughly over his shoulder. I gazed pleadingly at the smaller man behind us, silently begging him to let me go, to tell me what was going on, not to harm me. But he wouldn't meet my eyes.

I heard a car opening behind me and before I knew it I was being dropped into the trunk of a car, the hatch door closing over me and plunging me into complete darkness. I lay there in silence, straining my ears for more activity. I jumped when two more doors opened and closed and we pulled away from the curb, the tail lights lighting up the trunk with a dim, red glow.

…

…

I struggled futilely at my cuffs, giving up when they started cutting into my skin. I'd tried to keep track of the time and I was sure we'd been driving for around 25 minutes. I'd calmed down a lot since I was thrown into the trunk and I was now thinking of how I could escape. Most of my plans were ridiculous or required me to have an object that I currently didn't; such as cutting through my bonds and picking the lock on the trunk from the inside and jumping out. I sighed and lay there in silence for a few minutes, trying to shift a little bit to relieve the pressure on my sore shoulder. Suddenly I remembered someone in school telling me that you can kick out the tail lights from inside a trunk and stick a limb out so someone might will see you. Hope flickered within me as I wriggled around to get a clear shot at one of the lights. I kicked viciously at it for a while, but it wouldn't budge. I made a frustrated sound and tried to get comfortable. We'd been travelling for about 40 minutes now… I wondered where they were taking me, why they grabbed me in the first place. I thought about the note I'd found at my door; it was pretty clear that Cry hadn't written it. They must have planted that to lure me outside so I wouldn't wake everyone up. I screwed my eyes shut and curled into a ball, trying to convince myself I was just dreaming… trying to wake myself up. But when I opened my eyes there was still the dim red glow and the uncomfortable trunk. A tear slid down my face.

"Ryan, please help me." I whispered hysterically.

_**Author's Note #2**_

_Hey again guys :) I hope you all liked this chapter! Cliff hangers right? I think I'm getting back to a chapter every one or two days schedule, but I have two outcomes this week, so that might change again (ugh). Let me know if you like where the story is going ^.^ personally I'm enjoying writing it, but I'd love your feedback. _

_Anyways, thanks for reading bros. Talk to you next chapter!_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Cry's POV**

I scrunched my eyes shut, not wanting to leave my dreams. I clung to the feeling of Felix's lips against mine as my alarm clock obnoxiously pulled it away. I groaned angrily and sat up, fumbling dimly for my phone. I pressed snooze and flopped back onto mattress. I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now. I stared at my ceiling for a while and then inspected the rest of my room. The far wall was totally bare except for my desk, and I wanted to paint it and make a feature wall. I loved painting and drawing, so I thought it would be a really fun thing to do. I pondered various things I could paint up there, nothing really standing out to me, before sighing and getting out of bed. I doubted Felix would be up yet – it was only 7:30 – but I was hungry and wanted some breakfast. I quietly wandered down the hall, trying not to wake him. Mum would already have left to take Andy to my aunt's house and head off to work. I glanced down the hall at Felix's door and, seeing it was closed, padded quietly downstairs, my bare feet making tiny sticking sounds as I walked over the polished, white oak floorboards.

I put some raisin bread in the toaster, set the kettle to boil for a cup of tea and drowsily wandered into the lounge room to find my phone charger. I felt a cool breeze wash over me as I walked past the hallway leading to the back door. I paused, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. None of the windows were open… It was then I noticed the blinds over the back door were sitting at an odd angle and were swaying with the breeze. Puzzled, I wandered down the hall and pulled the blinds up. I sighed irritably when I realised that the back door had been left wide open. _I wish Andy would learn to close doors behind him_, I thought, closing the door and going back to get my charger.

I dropped my phone on the couch to let it charge and went to check on my toast. I popped it up at just the right time, grinning as the delicious aroma erupted from the toaster. I spread some butter over the fragrant toast and made up my cup of tea. I took my breakfast into the dining room and took a seat at the big table. I gazed out the large windows at my backyard, enjoying the sunshine filtering through the clouds overhead. I picked up a book I'd left on the table a few days and go and picked up where I left off, munching happily on my toast as I read.

I put my book down after a few chapters and checked the time. It was 9:45. Strange… It wasn't like Felix to sleep in much past 9am. I put my dishes in the dishwasher and bounded up to Felix's room, not bothering to be quiet now. I swung his door open, flamboyantly leaning through the doorway singing, "Wakey wakey, mister sleepy he...ad…" I trailed off when I laid eyes on Felix's room. The covers had been flipped back carelessly, as if he'd just jumped out of bed. His things were strewn around his duffel bag against one wall, his pale blue Vans carelessly thrown off next to the door.

"Felix?" I called. No answer. I wandered down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Felix, you in there?" I called. No answer… _Where is he…?_ I yelled out down the stairwell in case he'd slipped past me earlier, though I was beginning to think he wasn't here at all. _He couldn't have just left. He would've told me! _I thought, anxiety rising to create a hard lump in my throat. _Plus his shoes are here. He wouldn't just disappear without his shoes._

"Felix?!" I yelled, pausing to listen for his voice. Again, no answer. I jogged through the house, checking all the rooms for a sign of my boyfriend. I stood in the entrance hall, my breath shallow and my heart beating quickly with fear. _Where _is_ he?!_ Suddenly I remembered the back door this morning.

"No." I whispered, and bolted down the hall. I ripped open the sliding door, jarring my elbow, and rushed outside.

"Felix!" I cried desperately. I scanned the patio and yard for Felix and was about to go back inside to look again when I noticed a dark stain on the white painted boards. I walked over to it apprehensively and peered down at it, trying to figure out what it was. I recoiled in shock when I realised it was blood. I made a choked sound in throat and backed away from the stain, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

"No… Felix, no…" I whispered. "_Felix!_" I screamed, frantically twirling around, searching desperately, praying that my beloved Swede would appear and everything would be okay.

"No. Andrew left the door open." I whispered frantically to myself. "He must have fallen and scraped his elbow or something… mum didn't clean it up because she was in a rush. Yeah… yeah, that's what happened. Felix must have had an extra pair of shoes in his bag. He probably just walked to the store, I was so absorbed in my book I didn't hear him leave." I ran my fingers through my hair and went back inside. I kept repeating my explanation over and over in my head as I tried to go about my business. Every few seconds my eyes would flit towards the front door and I'd fervently hope that Felix would walk through it.

Twenty more minutes went by and my worry started rising again.

I was sitting at the dining table, staring at the clock at 10:48. I was tapping my fingers on the table top, trying to smother the panic bubbling in my stomach.

At 11 o'clock Felix still hadn't come home and I couldn't take it anymore. I dashed into the lounge room and grabbed my phone off the couch to dial 911. I pressed the phone to my ear, fear coursing through my veins as I waited for an operator to answer my call.

"911, what's your emergency?" A female voice asked calmly.

"Help. I need… help. M-my boyfriend! He's gone missing!" I said, adrenaline jumbling my thoughts.

"Sir, I need you to calm down. What is wrong with your boyfriend?"

"He's _gone!_" I cried.

"I've got your address down as 1428 Mabor Street. Is this correct?"

"Yes. Yeah that's my address." I breathed, calming down a little bit.

"What's your name, sir?" She asked calmly.

"I-it's Cry." I stammered.

"Alright, Cry. A squad car is on its way there. Now I need you to tell me exactly how long he's been missing. Can you do that, sir?"

"N-no, I don't know how long. Since before 7:30 this morning."

"Okay, can you tell me what makes you think he's gone?"

I took a few deep breaths. "I-I went into his room t-to wake him up and he wasn't there. S-so I checked the bathroom and, uh he wasn't there e-either."

"What else, sir?"

"I-I went outside b-because the door had been left open last night or b-before I woke up – I closed it earlier in the m-morning. And so I went outside and t-there was blood on the patio and… and he's not here. He's gone. Something happened… He's not here." I was struggling to keep my voice even and to hold back the sobs threatening to rise in my throat and escape my lips.

"Okay, sir. The police are nearby. Just sit tight and stay calm. Can you do that, sir?"

I nodded and took another deep breath.

"Sir? Can you do that?"

"Y-yeah… I think so." I concentrated on my breathing, trying to stay calm. _But Felix is gone. How can you just sit there when Felix _alone_ out there? You need to find him!_ cried an angry voice in the back of my mind. I shut it out and continued to focus on my breathing, listening to the woman on the phone telling me to stay calm, the police are on their way. I jumped when there was a knock at my door, almost making me drop the phone.

"They're here." I said, rushing towards the door. "Thank you, ma'am." I didn't hear what she said as I hung up the phone and opened the front door. Two police officers were standing on the front porch. The taller of the two was gazing around the front yard, craning his neck to see out to the street behind him. The other stepped forward and offered his hand.

"Hello, son. I'm Officer Parsons and this is my partner, Officer Bentley." He said.

"H-hi… I'm Cry." I replied, shaking his hand. "My boyfriend is go-"

"Gone. Yes we know. How long has he been missing, Cry?"

"Uh… Well we went to bed at about 1am and I got up this morning at 7:30 and I think he was already gone."

"Well, Cry… We're sorry but he can only be filed as a missing person if he's been gone for more than 24 hours…" Parsons said.

"Plus, he might have just left. People do that you know, kid." Bentley added. I scowled bitterly at both of them, gritting my teeth to smother the rage building up in my throat.

"He is gone _now_" I snarled. I didn't mean to sound so angry, but I couldn't help it. "Felix would _not_ just leave me like that. His shoes are still in room for Christ's sake!"

"Alright, alright." Parson conceded, raising his hands in defeat. "We'll come in and take a look." I moved aside for the officers to come in.

"Where is his room?" Bentley asked, nonchalantly. I got the impression that he wasn't really interested in any of this – or at least he was acting that way. They wandered into the entrance hall, gazing around at my house.

"It's upstairs." I said. 'But you should really look out-"

"Let's go, Parsons." Bentley said, jogging up the stairs. I sighed angrily and followed him, pointing to Felix's room at the end of the hall. Bentley went into the room to look around, and I grabbed Parsons' arm before he could follow.

"What is it, son?" He asked gently. "We need to look at Felix's room to see if there's any evidence of a break in."

"I-I know that." I stammered. "It's just… You should really have a look at the back patio." Parson's brow furrowed and he called out to his partner to let him know he'd be 'out back' and let me lead him to the patio. He gazed around the yard for a few moments before following my arm to where I was pointing. The blood stain. Parsons frowned and stooped to look at the blood, and I stood behind him, anxiously wringing my hands. After a few moments Parsons called out to Bentley, telling him to get down here. The cop appeared with a grim expression on his face, holding a crumpled piece of paper.

"What is it, Parsons?" He asked, the carelessness from before gone from his voice.

"There's a blood stain on the boards here. Looks like there might have been a struggle of some sort." Bentley grunted agreement and produced the crumpled piece of paper he'd been holding, handing to Parsons. "What's this?" He asked, unfolding the paper. His eyes flicked across the paper as I stared on anxiously. After a few moments Bentley and Parsons stood and approached me, their faces suddenly grim, even threatening. I shrank back a little against the banister of the patio as Parsons thrust the piece of paper in my face.

"Did you write this, son?" He asked accusingly. I frowned confusedly and took the note from the officer. I read it silently, my eyes widening in horror. I handed it back to him, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I blinked them away and shook my head.

"No. I've never seen that before… Was it in his room?" I asked quietly. Bentley nodded grimly and Parsons put a hand on my shoulder. I stepped away from him, turning out to look over my backyard. _Felix… He's gone. _I thought hopelessly. _I have to find him… He needs me. I have to._

I was dimly aware of Bentley going back into the house to call for backup. Parsons asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee and I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. The officer patted me on the back and left, not knowing what else there was to say. I didn't know how long I stood on the patio, staring absently at the clouds. My mind was utterly empty. My emotions were drained. I felt completely and wholly empty without Felix. Images of my beloved Swede vaguely drifted through my mind, causing tears to spring to my eyes. I forced them away, refusing to cry when the police officers were still here.

Eventually my mother came home and she led me into the lounge room. Condolences, kindness, panic, anger, fear, love, accusations. All fell from her mouth in a tumultuous mess and into my ear as she led me through the house. There were four officers here now; the new pair greeted me grimly as I walked past them, introducing themselves as Michaels and Lucas. I let mum sit me down on the couch, and I gazed after her as she went off to make me a cup of tea.

"You look like death, sweetheart." She called over her shoulder. I stared at the carpet intently for what felt like about an hour and then shifted my gaze to look around the room. I scanned the off-white walls, the light brown boards, the white rug. Everything seemed out of place now. I narrowed my eyes at the point where the walls met the roof, seeing something black in the corner. My eyesight wasn't exactly top notch – I needed glasses – so I went and grabbed a chair to inspect it, taking a shoe with me in case it was spider. I climbed up on the chair, wobbling slightly, and peered at the black thing. It wasn't a spider… it was a tiny glass dome. _What?_ I tapped the glass with my finger and heard a tiny whirring sound inside of it. I glowered at the tiny dome. I got down from the chair and went to find my mum.

"Oh, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Mum asked as I walked up to her in the kitchen.

"I'm fine, mum. There's something in the lounge… room." I trailed off as I noticed another black blot in the corner of the kitchen roof. I hoisted myself onto the bench, with many protests from my mother, to examine it and sure enough it was another glass dome. I waved my finger in front of it, seeing only my warped reflection, and heard the whirring sound again. I jumped off the bench and went to find one of the police officers.

"Officer Bentley?" I called, jogging down the hallway towards the stern officer. "I think there's something you should see." I led him into the lounge room and pointed to the glass dome in the corner. He climbed up onto the chair and did the same thing I did, tapping and peering at the tiny dome. He stepped down from the chair and radioed the other officers, asking them to come quick. He then pulled a cell phone out of pocket and dialled, briskly walking into the entrance hall.

"What… Sir, what is it?" I cried, following close behind. He put a hand up to silence me, patiently waiting for his call to go through.

"Hey, Bentley. What do you need?" I barely picked up the crackly female voice through the phone's speaker.

"Sammy, get the BAU on the phone. We, uh… I think there's something going on here." He said grimly. At 'BAU' the panic within me rose to a peak, threatening to erupt at any moment.

"Of course, I'll tell Cortez to contact them right away… What happened?"

"Uh, I'll text her through the details, okay?" He said, glancing at me. I scowled at him bitterly. I had a right to know what was going on! It was _my_ boyfriend that was missing, and it was _my _house that he was talking about! Bentley hung up the phone as the other officers approached. Bentley quickly sent a text to the Cortex lady as we all stood around him. Mum brought out my cup of tea, an absent look on her face as she gazed at the police officers.

"Uh… my colleagues and I have to discuss something in private. Could you…?" Bentley asked, a little too nicely. I narrowed my eyes at him as mum said it was fine and led me out the front to sit at the small table and chairs set up there. I sullenly sipped my tea while mum went on about Felix. Saying how fond she was of him, and how she really admired how strong I was being through this. I tuned out her rambling, instead pondering the tiny glass domes. I didn't want to consider it, but they had to be cameras, right? If they weren't then Bentley wouldn't have made such a big deal of them. That would be why they called for the FBI. I frowned and got up to scan the support beams of the porch for more of the little domes. As I expected, there was one above and to the left of the front door – a perfect spot to observe the entire porch if the camera inside could rotate. My stomach dropped as the reality hit me.

Someone was watching us.

**Pewdie's POV**

I winced as I tried to shift off my shoulder again. It was really hurting now. We'd been driving for around an hour and 15 minutes, though I couldn't be quite sure. I had managed to work the gag out of my mouth and I was grateful for the freedom. I rolled my jaw in its sockets, still working the ache out of it. I had totally run out of ideas when it came to escaping. I'd exhausted my entire arsenal of plans, well at least the ones I could pull off in my current state. I grimaced in pain as I accidentally tugged at the binding on my wrists. The FlexiCuffs had long split the soft skin of my wrists and they'd been weeping blood for the past twenty minutes at least. Suddenly I was thrown against the hatch of the trunk as the vehicle swerved sharply around a corner. I groaned in pain as my head hit metal and I laid there, dazed for a few minutes, my head throbbing painfully.

After a while the car came to a halt and I heard car doors opening. Footsteps crunched on gravel outside the trunk and I heard the lock click as Jackson opened it to reveal the dark, overcast sky. He roughly dragged me from the trunk, slamming it closed once I was clear. I landed heavily on the packed dirt, groaning as my stiff muscles were released. I was allowed only a second's reprieve before I was hoisted up by the elbow, roughly pushed through a gap in a wooden fence and up a dirt path. There was dense woodland surrounding the narrow, wonky path, giving the scene a very eerie atmosphere in the dim moonlight. We walked past a small wooden house, a flaming torch beside the door providing a pool of light. I thought I was a flicker of movement behind the curtains. A shudder ran up my spine and I tried to dismiss it as a trick of the light. I looked further along the path, trying to see where we were going. There was a couple of winking orange lights in the distance; I assumed they were more torches.

I stumbled a couple of times on the uneven ground of the path because of the stiffness in my legs as we walked, and I was grateful when the winking lights got closer and I discovered that they were, indeed, torches. They were in sconces on either side of the big oak front door of what seemed to be an old hotel. It was three storeys high with large, latticed windows. The wood panels of the building were painted dark red, and the porch was built with mahogany boards. Jackson dragged me up the steps and knocked once on the door. I craned my neck to see behind us and saw the small man standing behind us. I narrowed my eyes at him and turned away; there was something off about him. Jackson knocked again when no one answered the door. I was feeling really nervous about this place… It didn't have a good vibe at all. I jumped as one of the big doors suddenly swung open to reveal a short, gnarled butler. He bowed low and Jackson shoved past him, dragging me with him. I mouthed an apology at the man as I was dragged past him into the hotel. We went past what I assumed was a reception area, then up some stairs, past some rooms, up some more stairs, and finally to a large study at the front of the building on the top floor. Jackson threw me into the room; I was barely able to keep from faceplanting the floorboards as I staggered forward.

"Stay here." The small man said, having reappeared next to Jackson. "Do not leave. You will sorely regret it if you do so." With that Jackson slammed the door and I was left alone.

I looked around the room, trying to regain my bearings. The area was lit by an oil lamp and a candle chandelier suspended above the desk. The desk itself was simple enough despite the grand size of the room. Sheets of paper were strewn across the desk, and an inkwell and quill were sitting on one side. There was an oak closet in one corner next to a large bookcase that was packed with books. On the opposite wall was a small table with a vase of flowers and an unlit candle. There was also a huge landscape painting on the wall near the flowers. I moved around to the other side of the desk, searching for drawers that might contain something I could use to cut the FlexiCuffs. I managed to kick open a small cupboard set into the desk with my foot, causing a small stack of paper to fall out as the door opened.

"Jävla helvete." I swore, trying to kick the paper back into the cupboard. I wrestled open the drawers with my bound hands, finding nothing but two small canisters of oil and more paper. I sighed frustratedly and strode towards the cupboard. I was just about to nudge it open when the door to the study opened and a man stepped into the room. I looked him up and down critically. He was wearing a black suit vest and purple tie over a white pressed shirt, slim black suit pants and polished shoes. He had mousy brown hair that was swept to one side in a tangled, curly mess and a few stray curls fell over his forehead. His eyes were dark and cold, a feature augmented by his wicked grin. He had thin lips that stretched around a too-wide mouth containing straight, white teeth. I noticed that his canine teeth ended in overly sharp points, almost as if they were filed. He looked about my age and he walked with a cocky swagger, emphasised by his height and leanness. I instantly disliked him. He beckoned me over to him with a finger as he reclined against the desk. I scowled at him but obeyed, striding over to stand between him and the door.

"So. You're Felix, huh?" The man said slyly, looking me over. "Funny. I expected something… more." My scowl deepened and contempt rolled off me in waves, making the slim man's smirk drop slightly. He snapped his fingers in my direction. "Tyler, cut his bonds. He must be incredibly uncomfortable." Suddenly the small man from the car appeared beside me and grabbed my wrists. I felt a brush of cold steel and the FlexiCuffs were removed. I tentatively rubbed my bloody wrists, still glaring suspiciously at the brown haired man. My shoulders were painfully stiff after being pulled back for so long, and I couldn't help but grimace as I stretched them, the muscles almost cramping with every movement.

"Who are you?" I spat bitterly. "And what do you want with me?"

"Oh, Felix." The man chuckled. "Why so contemptuous? Come, dine with my father and I." He got up and brushed past me, heading out the door.

"No." I said confidently. "Not until you tell me what is going on." The man sighed and beckoned to Tyler, who promptly grabbed me by the elbow and tugged me from the room. I shook him off as we walked up a hallway and was quite surprised when he didn't try to apprehend me again. Then a thought hit me. Where could I go if I did escape? As far as I could tell we were in the middle of nowhere.

I was taken back to the bottom floor and through a few hallways that opened up on an expansive dining hall. The place was bare of life except for the smallest table at the far end of the room. I was led across the room and told to take a seat. Another, older man was seated at the head of the table, and I thought he looked much like the younger man who'd fetched me from the study. The only significant differences were that he had green eyes and seemed to be a fair bit shorter.

"Greetings, father." The younger man said, taking a seat across the table from me. The older man nodded at his son, but said nothing. I glanced nervously around the room; this didn't feel like a kidnapping. I was being treated like a house guest. Not with quite as much freedom, but even so, I didn't feel like a prisoner. If anything it put me more on edge than being locked up would have.

The younger man chattered away to his father and me until a group of white clad people served breakfast. There were stacks of waffles and pancakes, bowls of fruit salad, a huge pot of tea, some donuts, even some truffle. I gaped at the feast as it was laid out on the table, and the young man laugh cynically.

"You weren't expecting this, were you Felix?" He said evenly, though I detected a hint of scorn in his voice. He snapped his fingers at one of the white clad people and she hastened forward to serve him food. I took initiative and, after a few moments of scepticism, served myself a small portion of fruit salad. I waited until the other two men started eating before I did, slightly paranoid that the food would be poisoned. It was a delicious meal. Once I finished my fruit I couldn't help but want to try everything else. It was as if, with every mouthful, I was becoming more and more addicted to the delicious feast. Even the tea tasted brilliant. I tried to keep my guard up as I ate, but the food was so delicious I soon lost myself in the flavours.

"Son, have you introduced yourself to Mr Kjellburg yet?" The older man asked in a bass voice. The young man shook his head and finished his mouthful of food.

"My apologies, how rude of me. I'm Theo Brosamond." He said politely. "And this is my father Edward." I eyed them off suspiciously. Why were they being so friendly? The name Theo rang a few bells, but I couldn't think of where I'd heard it before. Theo and Edward conversed politely through the rest of the meal. I tuned them out most of the time, only speaking when asked a direct question. I was scoping out the room as I ate, peering into every corner, noting every door and window for future reference. At one point a servant – one of the white clad people – stepped through some saloon style doors and I saw a kitchen behind him.

After breakfast I was ushered out of the dining hall and through a few more corridors and up some stairs. Theo unlocked a door to room 087 and gestured for me to enter.

"This is your room." He said, his cheer from the dining room gone. "You will never leave this room unless accompanied by one of _us_. If you leave… there will be consequences." Tyler suddenly appeared and pushed me roughly into the room. I regained my balance and turned around in time to see the door close and hear the lock click.

I looked around the dim room. It was fairly bare. A four poster bed stood in the corner with a green duvet. A small bedside table was beside it, and a closet and chest of drawers were against one wall. The curtains were closed, so I strode over to open them. The window was barred, though it still let in a lot of light. Feeling myself start to slip into a food coma, I laid down on the bed. I noticed an unlit oil lantern sitting on the dresser with a canister of oil next to it. I drew my knees up to my chest and hugged myself, my anxiety rising again. _Now I feel like a prisoner, _I thought as I drifted into a fitful sleep.

…

…

I woke to moonlight filtering through the window of my room. I dimly realised I must've slept through the whole day. I yawned expansively and got up, stretching my still-aching muscles. I looked around the room again, deciding to break Theo's stupid rule and look around the hotel. I needed to find out what was going on here. I couldn't just stay here and wait for something to happen to me. I took some of the pillows off the bed and stuffed them under the duvet. An old trick, but if anyone glanced in they'd think it was me. I was about to try the door when a thought crossed my mind. _It's dark out. I should take the lantern._ I went and picked up the lantern, pocketing the oil canister. I quickly searched the drawers and cupboard for more and instead found three tinderboxes. I pocketed them too and strode over to the door. I tried the handle, surprised when it turned fully and creaked open. I winced at the sound and peered down the hallway, searching for anyone who might have heard me, and quietly stepped out and closed the door behind me.

…

…

I'd been wandering around the hotel for about an hour, finding nothing but an extra tinderbox and some dusty books, when I heard voices coming from a nearby room. I slipped into the shadows behind a large tapestry to listen, catching the end of a sentence.

"…need to get him soon."

"Theodore. If you ruin my plans with your brashness I will not hesitate to punish you. Do you not remember what happened last time?" There was silence for a few moments.

"Yes, father."

"I called the school this afternoon. They know you'll be missing the next couple of weeks."

"Yes, father." The pair fell silent again. "When do you intend to retrieve Cry, father? We can't keep Felix for too long without raising too much suspicion." My eyes widened in shock and I smothered a horrified gasp. _They were after Ryan!_

"Don't you think suspicion has already been raised? You know he has anxiety disorders; the FBI have been called in again."

"Oh no... That didn't end well for us last time."

"Don't you think I know the implications of the situation?" He snapped. "Tell Tyler to go check on Felix. I do not trust that boy as far as can throw him." The spite in the man's voice was frightening. "Oh, and go check the monitors. I want to see how far the authorities have gotten."

"Of course, but..."

"But what, Theo."

"He knows about the cameras, father. He was peering into three of them earlier today. The agents are bound to remove them."

"Then get Tyler to install more. Do you really need me to spell out everything for you? Go." Suddenly shoes were clacking on the cold floorboards and they were coming towards me. I held my breath and stayed perfectly still, exhaling shakily. I bolted up the hallway back to my room as quietly as I could, practically diving under the emerald duvet. Barely five minutes later I heard my door creak open then, a full minute later, creak closed. I shivered, drawing the duvet up to my chin. The way Tyler moved was terrifying. It was like he didn't walk at all, simply teleporting from place to place. I would have to watch out for him in the future. I let my mind wander for a while until a particularly disturbing thought came forward. These people were watching my Ryan. I needed to find out what they were planning; I couldn't let them get him. As soon as I had figured out what was going on in this hotel I had to leave, to save Ryan from whatever they were planning.

I didn't sleep well that night. Every time I fell asleep I'd be woken soon after by a noise outside or the creaking of the hotel itself. My dreams were filled with images of Ryan at the hands of my captors, and running down endless hallways following the agonised cries of my beloved. I woke at dawn in a cold sweat, breathing hard after yet another nightmare. When I remembered where I was I flopped back onto the bed, wincing as my sore muscles twinged. I rolled over, blocking out the light with a pillow, to try and get some proper sleep. Tiny dust motes were visible in the dawn light as I drifted, finally, into a dreamless slumber.


	13. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note**_

_Hey, guys! I hope you all like where the story is going :) let me know in the comments area if you have any feedback for me. I'm really enjoying writing this fic, and in the next week or so I think I'll be starting another one. Maybe. I don't know yet. Or I'm going to start writing an actual novel, which I'll upload to Wattpad. Or both! I'll put the link in one of these author's note things when I start writing it if you guys are interested._

_Also, holygreatgrandparomanempire it _is_ Amnesia :D simply my own rendition of it to fit with the reality of the story, hehe._

_Drop me a line and give me your thoughts on the story. I love getting feedback and knowing that I'm doing this right. There are over 2,000 views on here now! So I'm feeling a little self-conscious about my writing aha.._

**Chapter 12**

**Pewdie's POV**

Sunday passed rather uneventfully. I slept in until someone came to my door to take me down for lunch. I was escorted to the dining hall where I was served another huge meal. I ate with Theo; his father was absent. I ate sparingly after the breakfast I'd eaten the night before. It had made me feel bloated and sick eating that much food. Theo didn't appear offended at my light eating; in fact he seemed rather amused. I was escorted back to my room after lunch and told to stay there. By the end of the day I was starting to feel a little stir crazy. I waited for night to fall, becoming more and more irritable and nervous each minute that ticked past.

When darkness finally descended over the eerie hotel I took the lamp again, refilling the oil and pocketing the last canister and the tinderboxes. As I went to leave I thumped my shin on the chest of drawers. I grunted in pain, clutching my leg and noticed that the bottom drawer was pulled out slightly. Funny, I didn't remember leaving it open. I was about to close it when I noticed something rolling around inside. I opened the drawer to reveal another canister of oil. I shrugged and put it in my pocket. I didn't bother wondering how it got there; I needed to find some answers. I slipped out into the hallway, looking around before turning left. I followed the hall, trying all the doors and finding all of them locked, until I came to an open window. I peered out carefully and noticed a ladder nailed to the side of the building. I stared at it confusedly for a few moments, _why in the heavens would someone put a ladder on a building like that?_ before moving down the next torch-lit hallway. About halfway down I heard footsteps ahead of me and sudden panic and adrenaline created a painful ringing in my ears. I tried the nearest door and slipped inside, closing it quietly behind me. I raised and unshuttered my lantern and orange light filled the small room. I frantically looked around for a hiding place as I heard the footsteps draw closer. I saw a closet identical to the one in my room against the back wall and bolted towards it, tearing open the doors and sealing myself inside. I shuttered the lantern and pressed myself into the corner, trying to control my breathing as I heard the footsteps pause outside the door. The ringing in my ears grew louder as the door creaked open and the room was filled with lantern light, the glow filtering through the cracks in the cupboard doors. I held my breath, waiting for whoever it was to leave. The footsteps started again, moving towards the other side of the room. I inched the door open a crack and peered out to see who it was, quickly and soundlessly closing it again when I saw that it was Theo. His footsteps came closer to the cupboard again and I screwed my eyes shut, trying to will him away. He paused in front of the cupboard and I kept my eyes screwed shut. He couldn't find me now; I had to find the monitors I'd heard him and his father talking about last night. I had to figure out their plans and stop them from getting to Cry.

"Theo, what are you doing?" A female voice hissed from the hall. "Come on, your father will kill both of us if we don't get a move on." Theo didn't move for a few moments, but I soon heard his footsteps fade and the door of the room close as he left. I exhaled heavily, my head spinning from lack of air, and cautiously stepped out of the closet. I unshuttered my lantern again to get a look at the room properly. It was pretty bare, like my room, but instead of a bed and drawers there was a worktable set along one full wall. Various tools were strewn across the stone bench and I searched through them, looking for a serviceable weapon. Most of the tools were useless, though I saw a loose pipe set into the wall next to the bench. I pried it loose as quietly as I could and swung it around in my grip, testing its weight.

"I shall call you… Pipé." I said quietly, hefting the pipe as I shuttered my lantern and stepped back into the hallway. I glanced in the direction Theo and the girl had gone and went the opposite way, not wanting to chance running into them again.

I felt a lot better with Pipé in my hand as I wandered the hotel. The weight was beginning to feel natural in my hand, and when I put it down to look through some notes on a desk, I felt exposed and vulnerable without it. I wandered around the hotel for some time before I met anyone else. I barely had enough time to dive behind a column before Tyler saw me from across the room. The room we were in was on the ground floor, and it was quite large. The floor was paved rather than boarded, and I couldn't prevent the sound of my footsteps from carrying across the expansive hall. I watched from the shadows as Tyler whirled around at the sound, his gaze quickly flicking about the room. I froze, watching him carefully as his gaze paused over my hiding place. All of a sudden he was gone. I blinked confusedly and searched the room for the small man. Where did he go? He was right _there_ in the middle of the room not one second ago. I turned to leave and came face to face with him. I jumped violently at his appearance and lashed out with Pipé. He caught the pipe mid swing and grabbed my wrist, bending it the wrong way. I grimaced in pain, forcing my muscles to keep a tight grip on Pipé. I swept my foot around to kick Tyler in the backs of the knees, making him stumble enough for me to wrench my arm free. I drew Pipé back to swing at his head when Tyler suddenly put up his hands in surrender. I lowered Pipé a little bit, staying on guard in case the little ninja tried to move again.

"Wait, Felix. You don't need to do this." He said, head bowed, though I could still hear a sneer in his voice.

"Bullshit. You attacked me!" I replied bitterly, swinging Pipé viciously at Tyler's head. The man didn't even try to dodge the blow, and he fell limp to the ground. I dragged Tyler's unconscious body deeper into the shadows, wondering why he hadn't fought back in the end. As an afterthought I tore the bottom of my t-shirt to fashion ties to bind Tyler's wrists and ankles together, then shoved a gag in his mouth; I didn't want him running off to his masters to dob on me.

Once I was certain he was hidden and secured, I left my hiding place and crossed the expansive hall to a small wooden door on the far left wall. I cautiously opened it and went down a few more halls until I found myself hidden once again in the shadows, this time in the lobby. I'd used my last canister of oil about half an hour ago, and I was using my lamp sparingly, though I had tripped many times in dim rooms without it. Stumbling around in the dark had started to make me really jittery, and I felt like I was starting to go a bit mad, jumping at every shadow, every noise. I peered around the well-lit lobby, making sure there was no one to see me, before bolting across the open space and ducking beneath the counter. I'd barely hidden myself in time when the ringing in my ears started up again. I winced at the noise and silently crawled to the other end of the counter, which was shrouded in darkness. I warily peeped over the countertop to see what had caused my ears to ring and saw Theo standing in the centre of the room. I bit back a gasp of fright and looked him up and down. His clothes had been torn in places, and he had a long leather belt wound twice around his hips. He had blood spattered on his white sleeve, and my gaze travelled down his arm to alight upon five wicked black talons extending from his slender fingers. They shortened in length from around 6 inches on his index finger to around 4 inches on his little finger. Dark blood dripped slowly from the index claw, forming a small puddle on the floorboards below. I ducked back under the counter, clamping a hand over my mouth as my eyes widened in panic. I adjusted my grip on Pipé, grateful for the weight in my hand, and focused on steadying my breathing. My ears were ringing louder than ever, causing my thinking to become erratic. _What was Theo doing with a bloodied hand?_ I asked myself, listening to the steady drip, drip of blood hitting wood. I gingerly peeked over the counter top, fear rearing its ugly head when my addled mind realised that Theo was gone. I sat back down and took a few deeps breaths, my gaze settling on a door directly across from me. I tried to smother my fear, struggling bitterly to keep calm enough to think clearly. I gripped Pipé and my lamp tightly and, on three, bolted towards the door. The ringing grew louder in my ears and I heard footsteps behind me as I wrenched the door open and locked myself inside. The door didn't look too sturdy, so after a moment's deliberation, I stacked a few heavy barrels against it. I leaned against the bench at the far end of the room, my gaze trained on the barricaded door, breathing hard. I jumped when I heard a thump against the door, followed by steel scrapping on wood. There was another bang and the barrels shook against the force. I frantically searched the room for any exits or hiding places, since the barrels obviously weren't going to hold Theo back for long. I saw a staircase shrouded in shadow in the corner of the room and rushed over to it, barely making it under the reassuring cloak of blackness before Theo's clawed arm thrust through the splintered door. One of the barrels fell off the makeshift barricade I made and I scowled at it.

"You betrayed me, you fucking barrels!" I squealed before sprinting down the darkened stairwell. I knew I didn't have a lot of time before Theo got through my mutinous barricade, so I didn't waste any time trying to escape. I cautiously raised my lamp when I reached the bottom landing and peered around the large room. I was on a balcony overlooking a creepy looking wine cellar. I shuddered and made my way down to the bottom floor, keeping my lantern half shuttered so I wouldn't be too visible. I did a quick sweep of the room and found a hallway branching off the left side of the room, a door underneath the balcony, and another stairwell leading into darkness at the far end of the room.

I was standing before the newly discovered stairwell when I heard footsteps echoing from above. I whipped my head around, staring intently at the stairwell above for a few moments, before turning and bolting down the stairs ahead of me, shuttering my lantern completely so the light would not give me away. I padded down the steps as quietly as I could, the cold pavers stinging my bare feet. At the bottom of the stairs were two hallways, one leading left and one leading right. I heard a crashing sound from above me and fervently hoped that Theo didn't know which path I'd taken. When I was sure I couldn't hear footsteps in the stairwell I unshuttered my lantern slightly to get a look at the hallways stretching away before me. The one to the left had another small flight of stairs that led to a heavy-looking door, and the right path stretched into darkness. I shuttered my lantern and strode over to the heavy door. I tugged at the brass handles, scowling when it wouldn't budge. I crept back to the landing at the bottom of the stairs, pausing to peer up into the darkness. Hearing nothing but a distant crash of breaking wood I hastily made my way down the right-hand path. I trekked along the dark corridor for a few minutes, my soft footfalls the only sound to break the silence. Eventually I came to a plain, wooden door at the end of the hall. Seeing no other option I cautiously looked over my shoulder, listening carefully, then let myself into the room.

I quietly closed the door behind me and blindly walked towards a sliver of light peeking out from beneath what I assumed was curtain. I brushed the heavy drapery aside to reveal a wall covered in monitors. I gaped at the multitude of screens set into the wall. There was not an inch of wall visible between the monitors, and each one of them flickered with light as people moved about within them. I pulled the curtain back into place behind me and delved deeper into the strange room, taking a seat in the modern swivel chair in front of the desk below the monitors. This room could not have been more out of place in the medieval hotel.

I looked into the monitors, my gaze flitting over each of them. It didn't take long for me to realise that the top two rows of screens were showing footage of my apartment. I looked across all the rooms of my house and then the hall outside, even the lobby. I saw Mia sleeping soundly on my bed, her food bowl full in the kitchen. _Wait… Full? I texted Marzia and asked her to feed Mia on Friday… But it's Sunday night now. Who's filling up her bowl? _I looked at the rest of the monitors closely, noticing that the next four rows were of my school. The classrooms and halls were painted green from the night vision.

Dread rose painfully in my chest as my gaze flitted across the bottom two rows. My brow furrowed as I looked into every room of Cry's home. There was a group of strangers in his living room. I glared at them suspiciously until I noticed one of them was wearing an FBI jacket. I sighed in relief and watched them for a few moments. Two of them, a man and a woman, were standing in front of a white board set into a large frame with wheels next to the TV. The rest of them were sitting on or standing around the couch, peering at stacks of notes on the coffee table. There were six of them in total, and they were all conversing animatedly; one man was pacing back and forth around the room. My gaze shifted to the next screen and I saw Ryan's mother making coffee for the agents in the kitchen. I glanced at the other monitors, looking for my love, and found him sitting on his front porch with Stephano. Tears welled up in my eyes as I gazed at his heartbroken face. Stephano was saying something to him, and I cursed the monitors for not having sound. I longingly traced a finger over the image of Cry's face, fighting away the tears. This was no time to get emotional; I had things to attend to.

I angrily wiped the tears away and looked down at the desk in front of me. My eyes flitted over the flashing buttons and dials on the control board screwed onto the desk. My brow furrowed as a thought came to mind; how had the note gotten in front of my door? I mean, I figured Tyler had planted it there – Jackson's footfalls would've been too heavy – but the tapping had continued almost until I'd opened the door. How had there been no one in the hall? I scanned the buttons and knobs until I thought I found what I was looking for; control keys. There was a red light in the corner of the top leftmost monitor, so I pressed a button with a down arrow and, sure enough, the red light travelled down the column. I shifted the light until I reached the camera capturing Cry's upstairs hallway and hit the rewind button. There was a whirring sound and the video began to play backwards. I watched it intently, focussing on the time and date, and hit pause when it reached midnight on Friday night. I pressed play and it played at 1.5x speed. I watched myself go to the spare room, Cry following behind me. I watched us say goodnight to one another and I closed the door, Cry going to his own room and closing the door. Nothing happened for a while after that. I pressed play to slow the tape down to normal speed when the timestamp read 2:30am. I stared at the screen intently as a shadow flitted against the hallway wall as someone came up the stairs. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Tyler appeared at the top of the stairs. He paused there for a moment, looking around the hall, before slinking over to my door. He set the note down on the ground and tapped on the door. When nothing happened he began tapping again. He took a step away from the door, still tapping, when light streamed out from underneath it. He backed quickly away from the door when a shadow appeared in the stream of light, flitted down the hallway and slid around the corner and down the stairs. Not a moment later the bedroom door open and I appeared, glancing blearily down the hall. I turned to go back to bed when I jerked to a halt, noticing the note. I bent to pick it up and stepped back into my room, closing the door behind me. I stared slack jawed at the screen for a few moments; God, Tyler was _fast!_ I was about to hit the stop button when there was another flicker of movement of the screen. I'd opened my bedroom door again and, dressed in my shirt and jacket, stepped out into the hall. I padded down the hall on the balls of my feet, trying to be as quiet as possible. I turned suddenly – I knew it was when I heard another door open down the hall – and hastily disappeared down the stairs. My heart plummeted and I tasted bile as I watched Cry emerge from his bedroom and sleepily make his way to the bathroom. _He was right there! _I thought angrily. _If I'd left a few moments later he might've seen me, and then none of this would've happened… _I hung my head, despair making my heart beat faster and my breath to quicken. _No, _I corrected myself after a few moments, _Cry is obviously important to them for some reason. They'd have found a way to get to him if they had failed on Friday night._ I bitterly hit the stop button and pushed myself back from the desk. I brushed the heavy curtain aside and crossed the room, wrenched the door open and came face to face with Theo.

Theo grabbed my wrist with his unclawed hand, stopping me in my tracks.

"So, you found it then." He said, grinning maliciously. I remained silent, giving him the most contemptuous glare I could manage. "What do you think of my father's little setup."

"What do you people want with Cry?" I asked bitterly.

"You misunderstand, Felix." He said in a tone I couldn't quite discern. Was it contempt? No… Annoyance? Maybe. "_I_ don't want anything with your precious Cry. This is all orchestrated by my father. To be honest I want no part in it."

"Why should I believe that?" I snarled.

"Because it is the truth." He said dismissively, as if it was obvious and I was an idiot for not realising it sooner.

"I have no reason to trust you, Theo."

"You have every reason to. I have been nothing but kind to you since you arrived here."

"You've got to be fucking joking. You just smashed down a door and chased me into the depths of a _cellar!_" I cried exasperatedly. Theo let go of my wrist and I backed away from him a few paces, out of reach of those wicked claws.

"Only because I had to." Theo retorted. "My father was in the lobby. He ordered me to come after you."

"_Why _should I believe you?" I demanded. "You're one of my kidnappers and you're after-"

"Tyler tried to surrender to you in the hall next the lobby, didn't he?" Theo interrupted, taking me by surprise.

"Y-yes, he did." I stammered.

"And you didn't trust him. You struck him down with that pipe." He gestured to Pipé.

"Yes." I said, raising Pipé closer to my chest defensively. "What of it?"

"You should have trusted him." Theo turned away, and I realised the tone in his voice was sad. "He has been my only friend around here for the past decade or so… Jackson was too."

"Was?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yeah… My father had him executed yesterday morning." He choked a little as he said this.

"He _what?_"

"You heard me." His face contorted into a scowl. "It was discovered how much noise he made during your kidnapping and my father ordered Tyler to kill him."

My jaw hung open and I gaped at Theo like a dummy. "Why would he follow orders like that?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Because he'd have been killed too if he didn't. My father is a horrible man, Felix. He forces us to follow him with threats of torture and death."

"Even you…?"

"Even me." I couldn't help but sympathise with Theo; my own father was… well let's not get into that.

"Why not escape, like I've been trying to do."

"I won't leave Tyler or Rose behind. Not after everything he and I have been through."

"Who's Rose?" I asked.

"That is none of your concern. We can help you escape, Felix." He said, speaking quickly. "We can stop my father from getting to Cry as well."

My mild frown turned into a vicious scowl at the mention of my Ryan's name. "You won't be going near him."

"Oh come on, Felix." Theo said, vexation edging his voice. "After all I've said, and after what Tyler said, what solid reason do have to distrust me?" With that he disappeared into the monitor room, muttering about disabling the cameras.

I stood alone in the torchlit hallway, emotions raging within me. Part of me wanted to trust Theo, to trust anyone, despite all that had happened. He was right; what reason did I have to distrust him? I'd never felt malice from him, excluding when he came after me earlier, but I'd felt it rolling off his father in waves. And had he not been ordering Theo around just last night? I sighed in frustration. I still didn't really know what was going on, but I needed to protect Ryan. I hissed air through my front teeth, glancing first at the door, then down the hall and back again. Finally I slipped into the monitor room behind Theo, deciding that I had nothing to loose from trusting him, at least for now. At the very least I could get information out of him and Tyler about what was going on around here. I swept the curtain aside and joined Theo at the monitors. He was typing something into a small keyboard at the far end of the desk. He ignored me until he finished typing and hit a small red button above the keyboard. He then turned towards me, grinning in the dim light.

"So you've decided to trust me?" He said, excitement dancing in his near-white eyes.

"No." I replied sternly. "But, I'll do anything to help Cry. You have to earn my trust, Theo." He nodded in acknowledgment and strode past me, towards the wall behind me.

"We can't leave the way we came. It's too risky with my father around." He felt along the wood panelled wall until he found a loose board, which he pried back and reached under. Suddenly a hidden door popped out of the wall and Theo pulled it open, beckoning for me to go ahead. "We'll use this exit, it's rarely guarded. Tyler will meet us with a car." I stared at the darkened stairwell apprehensively.

"You go first." I said, and Theo sighed.

"Fair enough." He sighed, stepping through the threshold. I followed closely behind, and the door swung shut behind us, plunging us into darkness.

**Cry's POV**

I sat quietly in the dining room fiddling anxiously with the bottom edge of my mask as the FBI agents brought in boxes and equipment, including a large whiteboard on wheels, into my house. It was early on Sunday morning, 8am, and the agents had just arrived. Parsons had been the one who told me officially that the BAU team were being called in, though I'd overheard Bentley on the phone, so it's not like it was a surprise. I'd become furious with the police officer when he started explaining the situation to me like I was a five year old. I'd snarled at him bitterly until he laid a hand on my shoulder, telling me that it was all under control, and I snapped. I shoved the man away and yelled that no, it was anything but under control.

"You have _no_ leads, _no_ evidence but some hidden cameras and a note written in an _exact_ reproduction of my handwriting, and you expect me to accept that you have it _all under control_?! Screw you, Parsons. Come and tell me that when you bring Felix back, safe." With that I'd stormed from the room, leaving the police officers standing there with shocked expressions and my mother trying to apologise for me.

…

…

I was staring into the distance, thinking about my outburst, when a woman stepped into the room. I automatically shifted my gaze to look at her when she appeared in my peripherals, and she stopped beneath my stare. She was of about average height, though she was wearing four inch heels, and was skinny as a rake. She had long blonde hair swept into a heaping mass of curls on the back of her head, held in place by a large silver hairclip. Her eyes were brown and soft, though she had a no-nonsense sort of look about her with her grey blazer and pencil skirt. The woman was holding a Manilla folder to her chest.

"You must be Cry." She said in a gentle, friendly voice. I nodded, reticent and brooding. "May I join you?" I nodded again and she sat down across from me, blocking my view of the entrance hall. The placed the folder on the table in front of her and clasped her hands over it. "Cry, my name is Agent Jerome. I was wondering if you'd mind telling me what happened on Friday night." She said evenly.

"I've already talked to Bentley and Parsons. Why don't you go ask them?" I said taciturnly. I had been expecting to be asked about what happened, but that didn't make me want to repeat it.

"I'd like to hear it from you, please." She was so calm and friendly that it was impossible to keep up my bitter act.

"Fine." I eventually sighed. I went through what had happened from when I said goodnight to Felix up until I noticed the cameras the previous morning. She remained quiet throughout my recount, taking notes on a small notepad in quick shorthand. Once I'd finished she went over her notes again, confirming a few small facts with me as she went. As we went over the details of what had happened, the front door closed and the team of agents settled in in the living room. When we'd finished, another agent – a man this time – joined us at the table. He leaned casually on a chair next to Agent Jerome, listening carefully as she spoke. He was a tall man, at least 6'2'', and had short brown hair. His eyes were almost black, and he had a stern brow. He pursed his lips and took Jerome's notepad, casually flipping through it as she asked me more questions about Saturday morning. Once we'd finished, the man straightened and introduced himself.

"Hello, Cry. I'm Agent Casse." He held out a hand for me to shake. "We have a few more questions before we let you go, if that's okay?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Casse." I snapped rudely. "I know perfectly well what's going on and what's at stake. I also know that a lot of people that get kidnapped in a home invasion like this end up dead within 24 hours." I paused, scowling. "It's been a lot more than 24 hours since Felix disappeared." Casse's expression remained impassive for a few moments and Jerome looked tried not to look concerned.

"Considering the nature of the crime, we highly doubt that Felix is dead." Casse finally said. "This obviously isn't a random crime. There are cameras set up in every room of your house, and the kidnapping was well orchestrated. We are confident that Felix is alive and being held somewhere." I sagged with relief, his words confirming my hopes. He pulled out the chair he was leaning on and sat down.

"Is there anyone you can think of that might have a particular interest in you or Felix?" He asked gently. I frowned, thinking carefully, eventually shaking my head.

"No, there's no one." I said solemnly, annoyed with myself for not being any help.

"Are you sure? Neither of you have crossed anyone, met any new people that seem… unusual or threatening?" Casse asked.

"No one that I know of…" I shook my head again. Casse and Jerome frowned, Jerome tapping her pen on her notepad.

"Actually… There might be someone." I finally said, breaking the silence that had settled over us. I told the two agents about a date Felix and I had on a couple of weeks ago, and how he'd had an argument with some guy that had shoved him in the street, and how I'd bumped into him again the other day on my way home from school and he'd threatened me. There were a couple of other people Felix had gotten into arguments with as well; he could be pretty disagreeable at times.

"Thank you, Cry." Jerome finally said, pushing her chair back and getting to her feet. "You've given us a lot of good information." With that she left, Casse rising to follow her. I stared at my hands solemnly, looking up when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll find him." Casse said, his face set in grim determination. I nodded in acknowledgment and the pair left.

Being alone was letting me think too much, my avid imagination creating scenario upon scenario about Felix's quandary. I pulled out my phone and dialled Piggeh's number; he was always good for cheering people up. I bit my lip nervously as the phone rang.

"Hello?." My friend asked, cheerful as ever.

"Hey. It's Cry." I replied, struggling to keep my voice even.

"Oh hey, Cry." He said. "What's up?"

"I just… uh… I needed to talk to someone." My voice cracked at 'talk' and my voice trembled despite my best efforts.

"What happened?" Piggeh asked nervously.

"It's Felix." I said shakily. "S-something's happened." Piggeh didn't say anything for a few moments.

"I'm on my way. You're at your house, yeah?" I told him I was and he said goodbye, saying he would bring the others and that they'd all be there soon. The phone clicked as he hung up, and I was left alone again. After a moment mum came in to check on me, setting a steaming cup of tea on the table in front of me.

"Thanks, mum." I murmured, not trusting myself to say any more. She gave me a reassuring squeeze, saying that the BAU knew what they were doing. They'd find Felix soon. I thanked her again for the tea and she left to make some coffee for the agents.

Half an hour passed and I'd moved to the front porch. I'd wanted to sit out the back, but the agents had declared it a crime scene until they'd analysed it properly. I didn't notice my friends arrive until Piggeh sat down across the small table, wobbling it slightly. I jumped and looked up to see Cher hoisting herself up on the banister of the porch. Stephano was leaning on one of the support beams beside the stairs. They all looked grim.

"Hey, whose cars are they?" Piggeh asked, gesturing to the two black SUV's parked on the curb. "They look like FBI cars."

"They are." I said bluntly.

"What're the FBI doing here?" Cher asked nervously. I hung my head, examining my hands.

"Felix has gone missing." I said quietly. Cher gasped and Piggeh went pale. Stephano stared at me gravely, as if he were waiting for me to break down.

"How?" "What happened?" Cher and Piggeh cried simultaneously.

"Someone kidnapped him yesterday." I said, my voice quaking. "Someone lured him outside and they just took him." The others were silent for a long while, not knowing what to say.

"We have to find him." Piggeh said, finally breaking the heavy silence.

"Shouldn't we leave it up to the feds?" Cher asked meekly.

"We can't just sit here and wait for something to turn up." He declared, his face regaining colour as his temper flared.

"Piggeh, we have no leads. No way of knowing where Felix is or who took him." Stephano said gently. Piggeh slumped in his chair, a sullen look on his face.

"We can't just sit here…" He muttered.

"I know we can't, Piggeh. But right now there's nothing we can do." I stated hopelessly. The four of us stayed silent for a while; the group felt empty without Felix there making fun of everyone and messing around. Finally I spoke up again, "I'm so worried about him." I whispered despondently. Cher slipped off the banister and came over to hug me. She put her arms around my neck and squeezed my tightly. A shudder rattled my body and hugged her back, holding back heartbroken sobs.

"We're all worried, Cry." She said soothingly, rubbing my juddering back. "You're not alone here, okay? We're all here for you." After a few minutes I regained my composure and let go of Cher. She gave me a sad smile and leaned on the arm of my chair, still rubbing my back comfortingly.

"Thanks, guys." I said gratefully.

"That's what friends are for, bro." Piggeh said, barely managing his usual bubbly grin. "Hey, how about we go play a game for a while?" He suggested, his face lighting up a bit. "It'll take our minds off things." I frowned, not thinking it right to go off and enjoy myself while Felix was in danger.

"Good idea, Piggeh." Stephano smiled. "There's not point moping around like this. It's not helping anyone."

The four of us rose and made our way inside, heading for the living room. I jerked to a stop in the doorway, my friends behind me. My face fell as I set eyes upon the FBI agents bustling about the room.

"Oh, I forgot about them." I said, gloomily.

"Ah, well. Let's just do something else." Piggeh suggested, shrugging. "Why don't we go play football or something?" I nodded and turned to head towards the back door when an agent noticed us in the doorway.

"Cry!" He called, beckoning for me to join him. I glanced back at my friends and wandered apprehensively over to the agent. I took a seat next to him on the couch and he held up a large photograph.

"Have you ever seen this building before, Cry?" He asked. "I'm Agent Wyatt. I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances."

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you're here." I replied politely. "I've never seen that place before... Is it some kind of hotel?"

"Yes, it is. Draught o' the Crossroads, it was called. It got shut down in the early nineteen hundreds."

"Why? What happened?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. I took the photo from Wyatt and peered at it, taking in all the little details. It was three storeys high with large, latticed windows. The wood panels of the building were painted dark red, and the porch was mahogany. The surrounding area was largely forest, though there was a dirt path leading to the entrance.

"Can I?" Wyatt looked over at Agent Casse. He nodded curtly and Wyatt continued. "There were some bodies discovered on the hotel grounds. Six.." He trailed off.

"Eight" A female agent corrected.

"Eight in total. All were couples that were assumed to have stayed at the hotel at some point, though it could not be confirmed. After the discoveries, no one else wanted to stay there."

"They never figured out who did it either." The other woman continued. "They executed the last owner of the hotel, but he turned out to be innocent. They didn't want to take the case further."

"His son, I think it was, inherited the hotel after that. Though he shut it down almost immediately and everyone left." Wyatt concluded.

"I'm sorry but… What does this have to do with Felix?" I asked after a short pause, confused as to the point of their story.

"Ah, yes. Of course." Wyatt said, flipping through a sheaf of paper on the table in front of him. He seemed to be getting way too excited about this.

"He tends to get distracted a lot." The woman mused. "I'm Agent Fry." I introduced myself in reply as Wyatt found the paper he'd been looking for. He agilely caught the coffee mug he knocked over before any could spill and adjusted his black glasses on his face. He handed the piece of paper to me and I realised it was a photocopy of a newspaper clipping.

"What's this?" I asked, gesturing with the paper.

"Read it." He replied.

_**Who is 'The Hidden'?**_

_The property of abandoned hotel _Draught o' the Crossroads _has been compromised once again by the discovery of six new bodies on the grounds. Two of the six bodies have been identified as missing newlyweds Robert (23) and Marian Cobalt (22). _

_Head Agent of the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit, Mister Adam Matthews says, "We believe the new bodies found are related to the bodies found on the grounds in the 1920's, a copycat of the now-dead killer. We are doing everything in our power to bring this felon to justice." When asked if the mysterious suspect has contacted the authorities, Matthews refused to comment._

_The federal police have not released any details as to the nature of the murders or the state in which the bodies have been found, though forensics are working tirelessly to identify the other bodies so their families can be granted the right to lay them to rest._

_The BAU are combing the grounds of the Draught o' the Crossroads in search of any remaining victims or clues that could lead to the capture of 'The Hidden'._

I glanced at the picture included with the short article. The smiling faces of the deceased couple. My heart lurched and I handed the article back to Wyatt.

"This is dated 2008." I said shortly. Wyatt nodded.

"Yes, the last victim to be found on the premises was killed in early 2007." He said, solemnly.

"You don't…" My voice caught in my throat and I took a deep breath. "You don't think this 'Hidden' person could be the one that took Felix, do you?"

"It's something we have to consider." Agent Fry replied, a grim look on her face.

"How far away is this place, anyway?" I asked, taking the photo of the Draught o' the Crossroads from the table. "It looks like it's in the middle of nowhere."

"It's about two hours from here, just inside the old settlement the city was started from in the 1800's." Wyatt said. I fell silent for a while, staring at the photograph.

"What reason do you have in thinking Felix is here? Or that this guy is involved at all?" I finally asked.

"Good question." Wyatt said, getting excited again. He rose and walked over to the whiteboard. "Now, we can't be certain, but The Hidden was given almost exactly the same profile as our current unsub. We're acting under the presumption that Felix is the latest victim in a series of kidnappings that have occurred over the last year. The M.O fits." The agents rummaged through another stack of paper next to the whiteboard and handed me a sheet filled with type. It was a list of six people that had gone missing over the last eleven months. They were typed up in a column, and the people had been paired up with numbers. Felix's name was scrawled at the bottom in red pen, the number four printed next to it.

"Are these people couples?" I asked apprehensively, noticing that one pair had matching surnames. Wyatt nodded absently, inspecting the whiteboard.

"None of these people have been found, but each person had been taken within two weeks of their partner, and each couple was taken up to three months apart." He said, indicating the dates printed beside each name. I stared at the list, absorbing the information.

"So I'm next then." I said bluntly, handing the piece of paper back to Wyatt.

"I'm afraid we think you are, Cry…" He replied. "That's why we're set up here instead of down at the station. We can best protect you here."

"What makes you think Felix was taken by the same person?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in curiosity. "What matches up with these other cases?"

"Like I said, the M.O fits." Wyatt replied, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "All the victims' homes were fitted with cameras. Before the technology was developed for that there were numerous peepholes throughout the houses. One house had a standing camera behind the mirrors on walls that connected to an adjacent apartment." My eyes widened in surprise.

"And you said it's less than two weeks before the second person disappears...?" I asked hesitantly, peering at the list on the table.

"That's right." Casse said, having approached us while I was looking at the sheet. "I'm afraid we're going to have to keep you under house arrest until we find Felix."

"House arrest?" I repeated, frowning. "What about school and stuff?"

"We'll speak to your teachers. We can have someone drop of your coursework." Casse's tone and stern gaze left no room for argument. I slouched my shoulders in defeat and looked up at the whiteboard.

"Do you… do you really think Felix is okay?" I asked glumly.

"We do." Casse replied, putting a firm hand on my shoulder. "The bodies we've found indicate that the couples were only killed when they had both been kidnapped."

"What if they can't get to me…? What will they do to him then?"

"…I don't know, Cry. I'm sorry." He removed his hand from my shoulder and straitened his tie. "Don't worry, we'll find him before it comes to that." With that he left.

I stared at the whiteboard for a few moments, then turned on my heel and left the living room, wanting to be away from anything that reminded me how dire Felix's situation could be. I raced down the hall to join my friends on the porch. The blood had been scrubbed away, and the police tape taken down. I slumped on the steps next to Piggeh and held my face in my hands, my ceramic mask cold against my clammy palms. Cher slipped off the banister and sat down on my other side, draping an arm over my shoulders and stroking my hair. Stephano stood solemnly a few paces in front of me.

"It'll be okay, Cry." Cher murmured kindly. I shuddered softly, struggling to hold back tears. It wasn't okay. Someone had Felix, and they were coming for me. My breath caught in my throat and I straightened to look around at my friends. I took a few deep, albeit shaky breaths and recounted all of what the FBI agents had told me.

By the time I'd finished Cher had gone a ghostly shade of white, and Piggeh was slouched against one of the pillars situated on each side of the stairs, his forehead resting in one hand. Stephano's frown had grown more severe than I'd ever seen it, and he was now pacing back and forth in front of the steps, one hand raised to his chin in thought.

"I'm going to be put under house arrest until they find him." I concluded, running my fingers through my hair.

"We'll keep you company, bro." Piggeh said quietly. "When school's not on, at least one of us will be here. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we don't want you to be left alone." Cher agreed with him and Stephano ceased his pacing. He flipped his golden curls out of his face and looked down at me, his expression softer now.

"No one should be alone at a time like this." He said shortly. After a brief pause he continued. "I have something I need to take care of. Are you fine to stay with Cry while I'm gone?" He asked the others. They both nodded, looking as confused as I felt.

"Where are you going, babe?" Cher called as Stephano briskly strode inside and down the hall.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." He called over his shoulder, and just like that, he was gone. After a long pause Piggeh spoke up.

"Babe?" He jeered, poking Cher's arm. "What was _that_?"

"Oh, shush." She retorted, sticking her tongue out at him and shoving his hand away. "I'm allowed to call him whatever I want!" I couldn't help but smile as they bickered, playfully shoving one another. I felt a little better about everything with the two of them here. I was staring into the overcast sky and puzzling over Stephano's hasty departure when mum called out down the hall to tell us she'd made lunch. Piggeh and Cher stood and rushed to the door. Before she went inside Cher turned and took my hand, pulling me through the house after her.

Yes. I was glad I had my friends.


	14. Chapter 13 Part 1 - Stephano

_**Author's Note**_

_Here comes another alternate POV chapter :D I really hope you guys like these. Also, I know that the real Rex Tillerson doesn't have a son called Stephano, but I thought it'd be cool if his dad was head of a real company, not one I made up. Let me know if you think it's silly and I'll revise his family. Aside from Rex's name and the company, I'm making up the whole family and their house and stuff; although it wouldn't surprise me if the real guy lived in a house like Stephano's. He's fucking loaded!_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter :) I love you, bros._

**Chapter 13**

**Stephano's POV**

"I'll be back soon." I called as I hurried down the hall towards Cry's front door. I mumbled an apology when I almost crashed into one the FBI agents in the front entrance. I pulled open the front door and slipped outside, hastily walking down the path to my car. I pressed the unlock button on my keys and got in, clipping on my seatbelt and starting the engine. I sat in the car for a moment, listening to it purr.

My dad had bought the car last year for my sixteenth birthday, a charcoal black 1966 Mustang Fastback. I breathed in the familiar scent of leather and car freshener and leaned my head back on the headrest. After a few moments I put the car into gear and drove away.

Something Cry had said had been playing on my mind the whole time he'd been relaying what the agents had told him. I was sure I'd seen something related to this Hidden fellow in my father's study. I carefully pulled into the drive when I got home and parked my car on the far side of the fountain that took up the centre of the circular driveway. I pressed the lock button over my shoulder as I sauntered inside.

"Hello?" I called as I wandered through the expansive entrance. My voice echoed across the great room and I heard a female voice call out in reply from the downstairs kitchen.

"Welcome home, Mister Tillerson." Carla said cheerily.

"I thought I told you not to call me that." I smiled, making my way over to the open kitchen doors. "It's just Stephano."

"Alright, Stephano." Carla giggled. "If you insist. Though I doubt your father would be too pleased with the casual title."

"He'll get over it." I grinned and took a sneaky spoonful from the bowl Carla was holding. "Yum, what is this?"

"Stephano!" She scolded, slapping my hand lightly. "It's an apple and cinnamon cake mix." I stuck my tongue out at the chef playfully and backed off to lean on one of the benches. Carla had been cooking for my family for six years, taking over when her mother retired. They both still lived on our property along with Carla's twins Sammy and Michael. Even though my father was a fairly strict employer, he generally treated our 'help' with compassion and generosity. Most of his employees lived with Carla in a sort of dormitory to the rear of the house. It was a separate building constructed about 50 feet from the house. I'd always thought the rooms weren't good enough for them, though Carla and the others all agreed that it was the best accommodation they'd ever known. I'd grown very close to almost all the servants over the time they'd worked here. Carla and I especially had a healthy love-hate relationship. She was like a mother to me; more than my real mother was anyway. I scowled slightly at the thought of my mother, quickly pushing the thought of her away.

"Will I be getting any of this cake?" I asked innocently, tracing little circles on the granite bench top with my fingertip. Carla smiled warmly at me.

"Only if you're good." She said sweetly. "Now go on, leave me to cook in peace." I lazily waved goodbye and left the kitchen, making my way upstairs. I bumped into a couple other people on my way to the third floor, greeting them all with a small smile. They all addressed me insistently as 'Mister Tillerson.' It seemed that no matter how I protested they were never going to give it up.

When I reached the third floor I cautiously made my way to my father's study, pausing outside the door to listen in case he was seeing a client. Hearing nothing but rustling paper I knocked sharply.

"Come in." My father's muffled voice sounded through the heavy oak door and I pushed it open.

"Hey, dad." I chirped. I took a seat in one of the plush chairs on the door side of his desk and watched as he leafed through a multitude of papers and files splayed across his desk.

"Hello, Stephano." He replied absently.

"Hey, dad?" I asked, trying to get his full attention.

"Yes, do whatever you want." He answered. He wasn't even listening.

"Dad, I need your help with something." I said, a little louder this time.

"What is it, Stephano? I don't have time for this, I'm a very bus-"

"A very busy man, I know." I sighed. "I was just wondering if you had anything in your files about _The Hidden._" My father ceased his shuffling at the last two words.

"Why do you need to know about that?" He asked sternly. He looked over at me through his bushy grey eyebrows.

"It's for a school project." I lied. "We have to look at famous unsolved murders for history and I thought a local serial killer would be a good topic to look at."

"All the files from the cold cases are in the downstairs study." He said. "Please, don't let them get out of order. Put them all back where you find them."

"Yes, dad." I drawled. "Thanks." I rose and went to leave the study, but my father stopped me at the door.

"Stephano?" He called.

"Yeah?" I craned my neck to face him, one hand on the door frame and a hopeful look on my face.

"Yes." He corrected. "Could you ask Carla to make me another pot of coffee? This one's gone cold." My face fell.

"Sure, dad." I said, glumly. I went back down to the top of the first story flight of stairs and called out to Carla.

"Dad wants another pot of coffee."

"Sure thing. I'll take it up to him in a moment." She called back. Satisfied, I turned to go find the files I needed.

As I passed the living room I heard faint music from the closed doorway. I smiled and went in to greet my sisters. I opened the door to find Eloise and Tilly sitting together on the piano stool, practising a duet they'd been given by their nursemaid, Marilyn. My brother sat opposite them on the plush red couch, tuning his guitar.

"Ellos, everyone." I called cheerily. My brother blatantly ignored my greeting, while Eloise and Tilly whirled around on their stool, their faces filled with glee.

"Stephano!" They cried in unison, leaping from the stool and dashing over to me. They wrapped their slim arms around my chest and I squeezed them tight. It warmed my heart to see that they'd missed me as much as I'd missed them.

"You've come to visit!" Tilly squealed excitedly.

"How long are you staying?" Eloise followed.

"Not long, I'm afraid." Their faces fell and I felt a pang of guilt stab through my chest. "One of my friends is having a bit of a crisis right now, he needs me."

"Why don't you bring him here? We'll look after him." Tilly blew out her cheeks determinedly and Eloise giggled. I chuckled at their innocent enthusiasm.

"He has to stay at his house." I replied. "Maybe I'll bring him over when things go back to normal." I looked up at the grand piano they'd been playing. "Why don't you show me what you've been learning while I'm here?" I suggested. Their faces brightened again and they ran back to the piano, bickering a little over the seat before settling down to play. I leaned back on the arm of the couch to listen. Pure, sweet music filled the room as my sisters played a piece I didn't recognise.

"How long are you staying?" I turned slightly at the voice to face my brother.

"What do you care?" I retorted. My brother and I had never gotten along. We were at opposite ends of the spectrum. He was arty and musical, and I was sporty and academic, and he'd always hated me for it. I'd always been the one winning awards and getting recognition for my achievements, while Josh had blended into the background, occasionally being scolded by our father for not being more like me. When I was old enough to realise that I was the reason he was so ill-behaved I'd tried to help in any way I could. I offered to help him out with his homework, I'd taken interest in his music and his art, and I'd attended every concert, gig, show and presentation he did. Nothing seemed to allay his resentment of me though, and I'd eventually given up. I still loved him, of course. He simply never ceased to press my buttons, trodding on my every nerve.

"Tilly and Lou want you to come back." He said carelessly. He gazed up at me through his shaggy, overlong blonde hair. "What're you even doing anyway?"

"You heard me. I'm helping out a friend."

"I've seen you around at school, Steph. I've seen you with that girl."

"Her name is Cher." A scowl threatened to escape my controlled façade, but I managed to supress it. "She's not the one I'm helping."

"Where have you been staying?" Josh had gone back to fiddling with his guitar, avoiding my gaze. I faltered slightly at this new line of questioning. I turned away from him, balling my fists and glaring at the ground.

"Cher's." I muttered bitterly. Josh scoffed in response, but otherwise remained silent. I focused my attention on my sisters' song, calming myself down as I listened to the dulcet notes.

This is why I never brought friends over. None of my friends had ever set foot on my property, not even Mr Chair. I never wanted them to see how dysfunctional my family was. Dimly I wondered where my mother was today. _Probably passed out in her room, blind drunk, _I thought irritably. When my mother wasn't drunk she was an excellent parent. She'd been fantastic to Eloise and Tilly, though she tended to neglect Josh and me. It was very rare for her not to have a glass of port or whiskey in her hand nowadays, however. Marilyn looked after the eleven year old twins now, and she was more of a mother to them now than my mother ever could be.

I applauded, grinning as my sisters' finished their piece.

"Marilyn gave us this one." Eloise said, smiling broadly.

"You two are getting very good. Like young Mozarts." I commented, and they beamed at me. "Okay, I have to go now. I have some things to take care of." Tilly pouted at me furiously and Eloise set her face into a tight frown.

"Told you." Josh sneered under his breath. I gritted my teeth and ignored my obnoxious brother.

"I'm sorry." I frowned apologetically. "I promise I'll be back to visit soon. This is very important and I can't put it off."

"Oh, _fine._" Eloise finally sighed, running over to give me hug goodbye. Tilly was right behind here and I hugged them both tightly before saying goodbye and leaving the large living room. I felt horrible for leaving them like this, for hardly being around anymore. I tried to put it out of my mind for the time being to focus on the task at hand.

I pushed open the doors to the downstairs study. I glanced at the multitude of books stacked in the floor to ceiling bookshelves that were set into the left and right walls, then to the bulky filing cabinet sitting behind the intimidating mahogany desk. I hurried over to the filing cabinet and scanned the labels on the draws until I found the draw marked 'G-L'. I heaved it open and flicked through the bristling files until I found what I was looking for. I kicked the drawer closed and dumped the heavy file on the desk. Not for the first time I muttered appreciation for my grandfather's career within the FBI. He'd kept copies of all the cases his department worked, and that included _The Hidden_ cases. Apparently when he retired last year they hadn't wanted them back. I leafed through the numerous newspaper clippings and profiles and composite sketches that had been compiled over the years, and I gave a mental whoop when I found a smaller Manilla folder with the details of the other string of murders they'd been investigating in the early 1900's.

I spent the next two hours flipping through the papers I'd found. I hadn't found much useful information, and I was beginning to develop a tension headache. I ran my fingers through my unruly hair and frowned at the piles of notes on the desk. I'd found nothing that I didn't already know. I blew air frustratedly through my teeth and shoved the paper back into the file, ready to throw it back into the drawer. I heard a thump as I wrenched open the filing cabinet and my scowl faded when I realised a bound envelope had fallen out of the file. I frowned, how had I missed that? I carefully put the file back in the cabinet and picked up the envelope. I peeled back the tape holding it closed and tipped out the contents onto the desk.

My eyes widened in shock as I beheld a stack of autopsy photographs. The photos were grouped into piles of five or six with paperclips, each pertaining to a separate victim. I paired up the piles according to each couple and picked up the paper that had fallen out with them. It was a stapled wad of about twenty sheets, and I flicked through them to find that they were details of each murder. I read through it carefully, sifting through the photographs whenever the paper referenced them. What I learned over the next hour was frightful indeed.

I needed to tell Cry.


	15. Chapter 13 Part 2 - Pewdie

_**Author's Note**_

_I'm getting more and more carried away with these chapters. I just have so much to include! So many ideas! Arghh! Let me know if you'd like them to be a bit shorter :) I understand that 8,000 odd words for the combined POVs might a little excessive. I just don't like ending chapters without adding everything I planned in, then I get more ideas as I write and then POOF 8,000 words later and I'll upload it. I think I'm going to keep uploading them in half chapters, this way I can get the uploads out more quickly._

_I've drawn up maps of Stephano, Cry, and Felix's houses too. So if you want to know what their houses look like to make it easier to visualise their homes or whatever, let me know in the reviews or PM me, and I'll upload them to something, I'll let you know the website when/if I do._

_A bit of a plot twist in this one guys hehe I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts. On a sidenote, I'm not very good with sciencey stuff, so feel free to message me to correct me on what I screw up in the relevant section (you'll know what I mean when you read it). As always, thank you for your support. I love you all so much, you have no idea. Anywho, enjoy!_

**Chapter 13**

**Pewdie's POV**

I hastily unshuttered my lantern and an orange glow flooded the claustrophobic stairwell. The light flickered over Theo's face and he gestured for me to continue up the stairs. I looked him over suspiciously, I still didn't trust him at all, but I turned and walked up the stairs all the same. I supposed I was the only one with a light source so it was only logical that I'd go first. It wasn't long before the stairs turned into a gently sloping ramp and, after about a hundred feet, I was sure it was slanting downwards…

"Theo?" I whispered, my voice echoing off the damp stone walls. "Where are we going?" He remained silent. "Theo?" I stopped walking and turned around, opening my mouth to call out louder. He was nowhere to be seen. I frowned, peering into the darkness beyond my lantern light. Where did he go? After a few moments I heard the clunking of gears and the sharp clanging sound of metal hitting stone. I took a step forward, straining to see through the darkness. I winced as a screeching sound filled the hallway, echoing off the walls and creating a painful symphony of screams. I took a few steps backwards, trying to get away from the sound and it was then I noticed something glinting in the blackness ahead of me. I squinted at it for a moment, and went deathly pale when my mind registered what it was. There was a wall of spikes screaming down the hallway towards me. I staggered back, my string of curses lost in the cacophony of noise. I almost dropped my lantern as I turned and tore off down the hall, my flight instincts kicking in, telling me nothing but _run!_

I paused, panting when the screeching of the spikes was barely audible.

"Fuck you, Theo." I muttered. I should never have trusted him, I was an idiot. My lantern was running low on oil, so I took out my last canister and refilled it. I turned the empty canister around in my hands, suddenly remembering how I'd acquired it. I wondered who had left it in the drawer in my room. As far as I knew no one had come in throughout the day, though I supposed that someone could have come in while I was sleeping or eating. I shuddered at the thought and examined the canister carefully, holding it up to the light. I was about to put it away, disappointed, when I noticed something engraved into the bottom.

_Trust no one. I'll not lose another one._

I frowned at the blunt note. _A bit late for not trusting anyone, _I thought glumly. My head jerked up as the screaming of the spikes got louder and harsher. Was it… going faster? Panic rose in my throat again and I tore off down the hall, ignoring my aching legs and burning lungs; at least I was going downhill. But where was I going? Just as the thought passed through my head I whipped around a bend and came face to face with a wooden door. I skidded to a halt in front of it and desperately rattled the handle.

"Jälva helvete, du hora. Öppna!" I cried, furiously slamming my fists against the door. The screeching was getting closer, and I had no doubt now that it was going much faster; a couple minutes more and I'd be killed. I desperately searched the narrow hall, looking for a key, a lever, anything to escape. I slammed my fist against a stone brick angrily and leapt in fright as it fell out of the wall and smashed on the ground at my feet. I looked at the newly formed hole in the wall and my heart leapt in my chest as I saw a glint of silver. I frantically took the key and jammed it into the lock. The screeching was deafening now. I glanced behind me as I struggled turn it through the rust and cried out in horror; the shiny wall of death was only a few feet away. I finally got the door unlocked and hurled it open, tumbling inside. I fell to my knees briefly, picking myself and sprinting away from the doorway. I came to a stop, breathing hard and clutching a the back of a chair. I looked back at the doorway and saw the spikes had smashed the door off its hinges before grinding to a stop at the threshold.

My knuckles were white as I clung to the chair for support as I caught my breath. My stomach heaved and I doubled over, retching. I tasted bile when I finally straightened, though nothing had come up. I got my bearings and looked up to examine the room I'd found myself in.

I wiped my bleary eyes and looked around. It took me a few moments to register what I was looking at. The chair I was clinging to was sitting next to a large stainless steel bench covered in what could only be blood. I felt my stomach churn again and I looked away before my body threatened to actually bring up my dinner. The wall that the door was set into had various tools hanging from it, including a scythe, different sized hammers and screwdrivers, a pair of secateurs, a few saws, and a large chainsaw. I shuddered at the thought of their use and pushed the thought from my mind; letting my imagination run wild was not a good idea right now. Aside from the table there were three other foreboding apparatuses in the large room. There was a seven foot long table fitted with leather straps in one corner, and across from it was a steel chair with metal clamps in the arms and front legs. A strange bookcase-looking thing stood against the far wall, it had a generally human shaped shape cut into the shelves so a person could stand in it, and it looked as if something could fit into the shelves themselves. I swallowed painfully, a lump forming in my throat as I realised the slots were probably for blades similar to those in a guillotine.

"What the fuck is this place?" I muttered to myself as I gazed around the room. Surrounding each contraption were numerous pieces of machinery and equipment. Much of it looked medical, but I couldn't have guessed what they did. Though I did recognise a heart rate monitor positioned next to the bloodied bench.

I strode towards a large door on the opposite side of the room, lantern and Pipé in hand, and was about wrench it open when I heard voices on the other side. I frantically back away, searching for somewhere to hide.

"…what do you mean you set the wall on him?" A muffled voice demanded. "You really are an imbecile, Theo."

"I don't think he's what we're looking for. Quite frankly, I don't think he's very bright." Theo retorted. "I mean, look how readily he trusted me. _He's _the imbecile here if you ask me."

"No one is asking you anything, Theo." The second voice snapped. Was that… Theo's father? Ah, what was his name? Whatever, Mr Brosamond will do. "You know we need every subject we can get our hands on. Even if this Felix is not strong enough for our tests, you know as well as I that Cry will be. Until then we need Felix alive." I wrenched at a cupboard set into the underside of the steel table and dived into it, barely closing the doors before Theo and his father swept into the room.

"I won't disappoint you again, father." Theo murmured chastely.

"Where is he?" Mr Brosamond demanded, his footsteps clattering across the room towards the bench I took shelter beneath. I clenched fist around Pipé and the lantern and held my breath.

"There is no blood on the spikes, Theo." Mr Brosamond continued. "Where is he?" Theo didn't reply for a while. In the silence that followed I frantically tried to slow my now rapid breathing and calm myself enough not to give myself away. I jumped violently, almost hitting the roof of the cupboard with Pipé as Mr Brosamond slammed his fists down on the table above me.

"_Where is he?_" He shouted, his deep voice echoing around the room.

"I-I don't k-know, father." Theo stuttered. Fear was evident in his shaking voice as he continued. "T-there was no way to… to escape the hallway. They key was hidden and-"

"It obviously wasn't hidden well enough!" His father boomed. "You really are an _idiot_ child." Theo didn't answer, and the footsteps resumed their pacing around the room.

"H-he could not have left this room, father." Theo eventually stammered out. "I'd have seen him…"

"Enough, Theo. Look around you. Is Felix here?" There was no reply. "Go one then! Go retrieve him." With that there was a scattering of footsteps and the door banged closed as Theo scampered away. I heard Mr Brosamond sigh and pace back over to my hiding place. I heard him muttering to himself, only catching snippets of speech.

"…idiot boy…need to complete my experiments…will not fail again…revolutionise…" After about ten minutes stalking around the room and muttering, Mr Brosamond finally left.

I sat in the cramped cupboard for a few minutes longer, listening carefully for movement. When I was relatively certain it was safe, I cautiously emerged from the cupboard and looked around. I heaved a sigh of relief to see I was alone.

I was getting sick of lugging the lantern around with me. I needed both Pipé and the lantern, but I hated carrying them. I strode over to the wall of wicked looking instruments and picked out a long, evil looking knife with a small serrated section of blade close to the hilt. I took it over to the upright table with the leather straps and inspected them, my face lighting up when I realised they were full loops simply attached to the table by extra pieces of cable. I sawed through the cables with the serrated edge and looped the newly fashioned belt around my waist. I punched a couple of extra holes in it with a chisel I found on a shelf and tried it on again. Grinning in satisfaction I cut off a couple of pieces of the cable and created a makeshift sheath for Pipé to reside in when I didn't need him. I found a small non-locking carabiner and clipped it onto another piece of cable to hang the lantern on. As an afterthought I looped the knife into another piece of cable and, confident that my new utility belt was secure and fully intact, headed over to the door Theo and his father had left through.

I took a deep breath and pulled the door open. I gazed fearfully around the wide corridor I'd emerged in and quietly slipped out into the open space. I immediately crept into the shadows, making sure my lantern was fully shuttered so I'd remain unseen. I tried to move as quietly as possible padding silently along the long hall. Down here the hotel looked more like a castle than anything else. The paved stone floor was icy cold against my skin as I wandered along. The corridor went on for about one hundred paces, ending in a large archway. I peeked around the corner and found another large hall. It was empty except for a young woman picking at a meal at one of the tables. I cocked my head slightly, remembering the voice I'd heard when I was hiding in the closet upstairs. I wondered if this was the same girl. Keeping to the shadows I crept into the large hall. Seeing no one else around I stepped forward and walked over to her directly.

"Hello?" I called softly. She jerked in surprise and whipped her head around to look at me. She looked me up and down and her face fell.

"I thought you escaped…" She murmured, rising from her seat and striding towards me. "You have to leave. _Now_. You can't let them catch you again!" She hissed. I frowned.

"I wasn't planning to be caught. Who _are_ you?" I hissed back. "I heard you with Theo earlier." Her expression became drawn and she bit her lip nervously.

"Come with me." She whispered and grabbed my arm, dragging me through the hall behind her. "Do exactly as I tell you, okay? I say jump, you say how high." I dragged my bare heels on the stone, yanking my arm from her grip.

"No. Who are you?" I demanded, the authority in my voice played down by the need to whisper. "Last time I trusted one of you I was almost impaled by a wall of spikes." Her face went pale and she scowled at me.

"I'm sorry they did that to you, but I am _not_ one of them, and neither is Theo. It would do you well to remember that."

"Or what?" I sneered. Without warning a pair of huge feathered wings exploded from her back. They were magnificent. They were mostly pale grey flecked with black, and there was a dark brown streak starting beneath the middle joints and extending to her wingtips. They made the slight woman look three times as big as she really was, and I found myself reflexively shrinking away from her.

"I'll kill you myself. Save them the trouble." She snapped. Her eyes glowed bright gold as she snarled at me, and I noticed her teeth were filed to wicked points. After a couple of seconds the terrifying woman got her temper under control and her bristling wings receded beneath her skin once more, her eyes returning to normal. "Sorry." She mumbled. "Threatening you is not the way to earn your trust." I shook my head emphatically and she took my arm again, more gently this time. "Come, please. We can't talk here. I promise I'll explain everything." Not wanting to anger the crazy angel woman I let her drag me out of the hall and down a couple more corridors. As she pulled me along I noticed that her shirt was open-backed, and her shoulder blades protruded at odd angles where her wings sat beneath her skin. They were also covered in fluffy grey, black and brown feathers that eventually blending back into her skin at the small of her back.

At one point she roughly shoved me into a closet, closing the doors and leaning back on them so I couldn't get out. I almost yelled at her when I heard Theo's voice through the doors.

"Hello, Theo." The woman said evenly. Theo greeted her and asked her if she'd seen any mysterious persons roaming the hotel.

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about. I just finished my dinner and I was going back to the library to do some reading." She told him, keeping up a careless veneer. "Care to join me?"

"No, thank you. I have work to do. Father is furious with me." With that he walked off the way we'd come. The woman called out a sarcastic goodbye and stepped away from the closet.

"You can come out now." She whispered, and I gingerly moved out into the open. The woman took me by the arm again. "Come on, it isn't much further to my study."

"Will you still not tell me who you are?" I asked quietly as we briskly traversed the bowels of the hotel. "You seemed pretty chummy with Theo back there."

"I'll explain everything when we have some privacy." She growled. Eventually we reached a small study. She practically threw me inside and shut and locked the door behind us. She sighed in relief and gestured for me to take a seat on the only chair in the tiny room. I stared at her suspiciously and leaned against a bookcase close to the door. She scoffed at me exasperatedly.

"The door's locked, idiot." She laughed. "How do you expect to get out if I attack you." I frowned at her words, staying where I was. She gazed at me for a few moments, the silence stretching out between us.

"So… you're the new project." She finally stated, as if I should know what she was talking about.

"Project?" I repeated when she didn't elaborate.

"You don't know then… That means they haven't gotten to your girlfriend yet. That's good." She continued.

"Boyfriend." I interrupted. She looked up at me in surprise. "I have a boyfriend… His name is Cry."

"Oh… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed." She said softly. Her voice was like warm honey; charming and sweet. "Either way. They'll get to him eventually. We need to stop them…"

"Obviously." I confirmed. "Why would you help me though? You still haven't told me who you are… Why should I trust you?"

"One question at a time, boy." She barked. I scowled at the term and told her my name, venom in my voice. She held up her hands in an apology.

"Sorry, Felix. My name's Rose. I was the last person Theo's father… performed his tests on." Her voice went quiet at the mention of Theo's dad.

"Why do you have… uh…" I trailed off, not sure how to ask politely.

"Wings?" She finished. I nodded and she sighed. "They were grafted onto my body that repulsive man." I assumed she meant Mr Brosamond. "They did a number of tests on me when they first brought me here."

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." She replied. "Not very long. Maybe three or four months." My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"That seems like a while to me." I commented. She shrugged dismissively.

"As I was saying, Edward performed numerous tests on my husband and I-"

"You have a husband?" I interjected. She glared at me.

"Yes. Shush. I learned a lot during the tests; they spoke freely around me. Edward and his family have been trying to create a new breed of human over the last hundred or so years." She ignored my small, shocked gasp. "Most of the subjects died apparently, but Tyler and I-"

"Whoa, hold on!"

"What is it now?" She snapped. "You're like a child with your constant stream of questions."

"Tyler is your _husband_?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, what of it?"

"It's just… ahem. He's a bit of an asshole." She scowled at me venomously. "He kidnapped me!" Her face fell and she looked away, shamefaced.

"He had no choice. It was capture you, or die. I assume he took Jackson with him?" I nodded. "Hmm… Yes, that makes sense." She trailed of for a while, her face growing grim. "Jackson was an earlier… creation I suppose you could call us, of Edward's. They gave him enhanced muscle mass and density and a near impenetrable hide." That explained how easily he restrained me.

"Why did they kill him?" I asked tentatively.

"He… he wasn't needed by them anymore. I'm pretty sure they're keeping his body somewhere to do diagnostics or something." She muttered solemnly. "That… that isn't important anymore." She said, louder this time. She wiped a tear from her eyes and continued. "As I said before, they're trying to create a new, superior breed of human. They combined my DNA with that of a falcon, and once my bones had hollowed and my muscles had shifted, they grafted these wings onto my back. I have no idea how they created them, but I know they're organic. After my body accepted them – it rejected them four times before they were integrated into my body – it didn't take long for the muscles to knit together."

"That sounds painful." I murmured and she nodded. "How do you melt them into your back?" She chuckled at my choice of words.

"It's in my genes apparently. I don't know what much of it means, but that's what I got from the explanation Brosamond gave me." She rolled her neck and gazed at the floor for a few moments.

"What did they do to Tyler?" I asked, taking advantage of the lull in conversation.

"I don't know the technicalities." She said hesitantly. She paused for a moment, seeming to be concentrating on something. "He should tell you himself. He'll be here in a few moments."

"How do you know that?" I asked confusedly. "Wouldn't he think you were still in that dining hall?"

"That's another part of the... upgrades they gave us." She said, nibbling on her bottom lip. I felt a twinge of sadness as I remembered Ryan's own nervous habit of gnawing at his lip.

"I'm sorry, what?" I interrupted. Rose had started talking while I was lost in thought. She sighed irritably.

"I _said_, that's another part of the whole thing. Tyler and I can communicate by thought." She said. I scoffed in spite of the situation.

"You mean like telepathy or something?"

"Yes. Exactly like telepathy." She said evenly. I was slightly taken aback by her serious tone.

"You two can talk mentally?" I asked, disbelief laced in my voice.

"Not exactly talk." She replied. "We can detect one another's emotions and location and general bodily state at any moment. We can 'feel' one another if you will at the back of our minds constantly. If we choose we can also share specific memories if we're connected by skin to skin contact." I stared at her blankly for a while when she finished talking, trying to work out whether she was lying or not. I didn't really see why she would. She was obviously genetically altered, she had wings after all. She shifted uncomfortable under my stare and I quickly looked away, stammering an apology.

Just then there was short knock at the door. Rose practically leapt to open the door for her husband. Tyler swept past me to embrace his wife, and I felt a little guilty for hitting him earlier. If he and Rose really were on my side then that explained why he hadn't tried to escape or fight back as I knocked him out. I closed the door, peering quickly down the hall outside, as they greeted one another.

"Felix, meet Tyler." Rose said as I turned back to face them.

"We've met." He said curtly. I hung my head shamefully.

"I-I'm sorry I hit you before, Tyler." I said softly, avoiding his stare.

"It's alright, Felix. You had no reason to trust me." He replied graciously and I looked up at him. "I wouldn't have trusted me either. God knows I didn't trust Jackson when I first got here." The couple's eyes glazed over for a moment, then they blinked in unison and Tyler addressed me again.

"I see Rose has told you most of what happened to us." He said. I nodded hesitantly.

"What's your, uh… perk?" I asked, stumbling over the words a little bit.

"An interesting term for it." Tyler chuckled, casually leaning back on the desk. "I have a sort of… active camouflage, I guess you could call it."

"Active camo?" I echoed.

"Yes, much like that of a chameleon or an anole. My speed and agility were also enhanced, so I can move much faster than an average human."

"That explains a lot." I murmured.

"It's why I was chosen to plant the note in your house." Tyler said.

"I figured as much. I saw you on the cameras." I replied, making Tyler wince.

"I'm sorry you have to be here, Felix." He said. I nodded at his apology, pondering all the information I'd just been given.

"Hold up." I said suddenly. "Why were you such an ass when you were kidnapping me if you wanted no part in it?" I demanded.

"It was because of Jackson." Tyler stated simply. "Edward had a direct audio link to him via an earpiece he was wearing. If I didn't make it seem convincing then he'd have had me executed as well."

"Wow…" I breathed. "Brosamond's an ass." Rose and Tyler laughed and wholeheartedly agreed.

"Now." Rose said, taking Tyler's hand. "We need to figure out a plan to get you out of here."

"Hang on, what about Theo?" I asked, cutting her off.

"What about him?" She snapped. I was getting the impression that Rose was not very good at controlling her temper. Tyler squeezed her hand and her scowl softened a little.

"What's his deal? I mean, you guys know him, right? Is he really supporting his father's experiments?" Tyler and Rose looked at each other hesitantly.

"He detests his father." Rose said sadly. "But he has no choice but to obey his father."

"Why?" I insisted.

"He was his father's first success. You know the claws he wears?" I nodded affirmative. "He has to wear them. They're made of silver, and they negate the effects of an implant Edward inserted in his spine."

"What does the implant do?" I asked, feeling somewhat nervous.

"It releases periodical electrical shocks into his spinal cord. Without the-"

"_What_?" I interrupted. "Why would he do that to his son?"

"I see what you mean." Tyler muttered to Rose, making her smirk. He addressed me once again, "Shush. Let me explain. Without the claws he wears the shocks would cause his brain and nervous system serious damage. The claws serve as a sort of lightning rod to draw the electricity away from anywhere it can do damage."

"How would that work?" I asked, wrinkling my nose thoughtfully. "Lightning rods need to be connected to the earth to work properly, otherwise it becomes obsolete."

"You're right, that's how it usually would work ." Rose said. I frowned, confused.

"Edward made the claws specifically for the purpose of protecting Theo, and also as a method to keep him under control." Tyler said. "Edward modified the structure of the silver so it still retained its level of conductivity, but it could also draw the electricity to itself without having a connection to the earth." I stared at Tyler for few moments, frowning, and Rose shrugged at me.

"How does he control Theo with them though?" I asked.

"It part of the implant." Tyler said. "He can release a chemical into Theo's bloodstream that negates the effects of the claws, and he often takes them away when he think that Theo needs to be put in line."

"That would explain why he wasn't wearing them when we ate over the last couple of days." I said. Tyler nodded in agreement. Rose flipped her dark hair over her shoulder impatiently and stepped forward.

"We need to get you out of here, Felix. There isn't time to sit here conversing, what if Theo or Edward come looking for one of us?" She gestured to Tyler and his face grew grim. "First of all we need to get back to the main hotel. There's a ladder on the second floor that leads down to a path through the woods."

"We need to move though. Dawn must be drawing closer. To avoid drawing suspicion we should go as soon as possible." Tyler added. I adopted a determined expression and Rose unlocked the door, popping her head through threshold to see if the coast was clear. She gestured for Tyler and I to follow her, and we slipped out into the hall.

My escape had finally begun, it was time to get to Cry.


	16. Chapter 13 Part 3 - Cry

_**Author's Note**_

_Sorry about the fast-pacedness of the story, bros. Thank you for the feedback, Jennette1. I'm grateful for the criticism; it gives me a chance to improve. I'll work on slowing the story down a bit. I think, in the excitement of writing I got a bit carried away, wanting to get all my ideas out at once. A fair warning, the story's going to get a bit more 'out there' I guess you could say._

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the other half of this chapter. I appreciate the feedback, keep it coming :) I love you bros._

**Cry's POV**

"Whoa, Stephano. Back up. What do mean genetic mutation?" I questioned and Stephano took a deep breath. I'd never seen him like this before. His usual calm, stoic demeanour was gone to be replaced by wide eyes and a frantic tone of voice. He started from the beginning, explaining what he'd found in his grandfather's filing cabinet. After he'd finished, Piggeh, Cher and I stared at him in stunned silence.

"Is that the file?" I asked, gesturing to the envelope he was holding. He nodded solemnly and handed it over.

"We should give that to the FBI agents." Cher said in a small voice, the whole situation was a bit overwhelming for her. I opened the envelope and peered inside. I pulled out a rather large stack of photos and a think booklet filled with text. The photos were organised into groups, so I picked the first one up to flip through them.

I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

The first picture in the pile was a thumbnail of a smiling girl that looked about 24 years old. The next was a picture of her lifeless corpse, laid out awkwardly on a steel table. It looked pretty normal, aside from some cuts along her sides, so I sat it down on the table to look at the next one. It was a close up shot of the girl's face. Her skin was tinged slightly blue, and her eyes stared off into space. Her irises were a deep, red colour, and her pupils were barely visible they were so small. Her mouth has being held open by a gloved hand and a spliced tongue was visible. The next photo was an extreme close up of her ribcage, which had deep four deep gashes evenly spaced up her side. Another gloved hand was pulling one of the gashes open to reveal what appeared to be glands of some kind.

"Are these… gills?" I asked incredulously, gesturing to the photo. My friends stopped talking and peered at the photo, Cher recoiled in shock after a moment, and Stephano put his arm around her frail shoulders. Stephano didn't answer my question, he simply handed me the booklet. I flipped through it and found the information on the photo.

_**Marian Cobalt**_

_DOD: 23 March, 2005_

_Subject seems to have died when the addition of gills to her upper abdominal region was attempted. The subject's body went into shock and rejected the addition of glands intended to assist in the extraction of oxygen from water. The subject suffered from hypotensive shock and did not survive._

The report continued, but I didn't want to read any more. I looked through the other photos, seeing similar additions. One man had what appeared to be wolf's ears attached to his head, his own ears reduced to wonky lines of stitches. Another man's skin appeared to have patches of scales grafted on. One woman had claws and a reptilian nose. I gazed at the photographs, sickened, before shoving them hastily back into the envelope.

"Cry?" Cher murmured nervously. "You should give those to the FBI agents.

"No…" I said, leaving no room for discussion. "Stephano, you said your grandfather had these, yeah?" Stephano nodded, a knowing look on his face; he knew what I was getting at. "Your grandfather was part of the FBI, that means that they are more than likely to have copies of all of this already. They obviously haven't told me about it for a reason."

"They would've wanted to keep you as calm as possible until they could find Pewdie." Piggeh contributed. I shrugged at picked up the envelope.

"Whatever the reason, I don't think it would be wise to let the agents know that we have this information." I concluded, and Stephano and Piggeh nodded. Cher looked helplessly between us all, eventually snuggling up to Stephano dejectedly.

"Anyway…" I pushed back my chair and walked to the entrance of the dining room. "You guys should go." I put up my hand to silence my friends' protests. "I have a lot to think about, and after the last couple of days I'd really like some alone time." Cher tried to protest more, but Piggeh shushed her.

"He's right, you guys. He deserves some time to himself." He said, getting to his feet and walking over to me. "I'm only a phone call away, alright bro?" I nodded gratefully and he scooped me up in a bear hug. The air was forced out of my lungs and I coughed, slapping his arm.

"Thanks, Piggeh." I wheezed when he finally let me go.

"We'll be here within minutes too, if you need us." Stephano stated, giving me a brofist and leaving the room. Cher had a distressed look on her face as she threw her arms around my neck.

"If you need _anything_ just call us, okay?" She asked desperately. I said I would and she frowned at me. "You promise?" She demanded, pointing at me threateningly.

"Yeah, I promise!" I chuckled, and she lowered her hand. She gave me another quick hug and she followed the others through the kitchen and into the entrance hall. They waved goodbye and left. I heard Stephano's car roar to life and pull away from the curb, the engine fading until all that was left was the babble of voices coming from the living room.

I sighed and folded the envelope in two, awkwardly shoving it into my back pocket. My mind wandered and my imagination went wild imagining what the people that took Felix might be doing to him. I shuddered at the thought, trying to push the images out of my mind as I filled the kettle, deciding that a nice cup of tea might calm my nerves.

**One Week Later.**

I lethargically pulled myself out of bed, barely sustaining the will to move, and stumbled down the hall to the bathroom. I leaned over the sink, turned on the tap and splashed water on my face. I gasped at the iciness and looked in the mirror.

God. I looked terrible.

Blackish purple bags ringed my bloodshot eyes. My hair was a bird's nest of knots and tangles. My lips were dry and chapped. I looked like I'd been hit by a bus. I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and made my way down to the kitchen to make some coffee.

It had been a week since Felix had gone missing. A pile of unfinished schoolwork had built up by the door, having been dropped off by Stephano or Piggeh every day. My friends had come back to visit me on Monday after school, and Cher and Stephano had come on Tuesday. Piggeh came again on Thursday, but none had come since then expect to drop off my schoolwork. I couldn't really blame them, and I knew they hadn't stopped coming because they didn't care. Over the week I'd become increasingly unstable. I'd had another fit of rage and pulled down the FBI agent's white board, almost breaking the coffee table, and had screaming at them to go get my Felix. They were almost positive that he was at, or was somewhere related to the hotel. Draught of the whatever. I screamed at them to go there, to tear the place apart until they found him. I'd screamed until my voice went hoarse and I'd dropped the ground, tears streaming down my face, violent sobs wracking my body. My distraught mother had to be escorted away from the scene I was making because she "couldn't stand to see her little boy like that." Cher had run to my side when I finally stopped yelling, stroking my hair gently, shushing me and cooing at me until I calmed down. That was last day she'd come. Apparently it had severely upset her to see me go so off the rails.

I'd gotten sick of everyone making the situation about themselves; the only important thing was finding Felix. So I'd basically told them to stay away. A little voice in the back of my mind told me I was the one being selfish, but I pushed it away. Casse told me he was working on getting a warrant to search the premises of the hotel, but had so far been unsuccessful. He'd also made sure to keep me under near constant surveillance. There was almost always an agent nearby, keeping a sharp eye on me. I felt like a prisoner in my own home, and I resented it. I couldn't even go out onto the front porch without an escort. I'd been listening in on the agent's conversations and had found out that they'd eliminated almost all the suspects they'd originally started with, having carried them over from the other cases.

I stood in the shadows by the archway opening onto the living room, listening carefully to the babble of voices. I clutched my cup of coffee determinedly as I listened and, when I heard nothing useful, turned and stormed up the stairs and locked myself in my room. I set my coffee down on my desk and leaned back in the swivel chair, sighing loudly. I rubbed my eyes, exhaustion taking its toll on me. I'd barely slept over the last few nights; it took hours for me to fall asleep, and when I did I was plagued by nightmares that caused me to wake up periodically through the night. I'd been finding myself drifting off into a sort of half sleep quite frequently as a result.

I shook off my fatigue and gulped down some coffee. I rubbed my eyes again and switched on my desktop. I listened as the hard drive whirred to life and the screen flickered on. I tapped impatiently on the surface of the desk as I waited. When the login screen appeared after what felt like forever I typed in my password and the desktop appeared. I clicked into Google Chrome and a tab opened up on the screen. A smile flickered across my face at the little 'Sup Guy that was my theme and I typed 'Draught o' the Crossroads' into the search bar. If the agents weren't going to go and find Felix, then I would. I found the Wikipedia page for it and hastily typed the address into my phone's GPS. As I waited for the map to load, I scrolled through the wiki page. There wasn't much on the place, just a brief history about the owners and how it was built, plus some of what could only be called folklore on the murders. I exited the page and picked up my phone to check the map. I finished off my cup of coffee and, leaving my phone on the desk, strode over to my cupboard to put on some warm clothes; it was pretty cold today. I traded my tracksuit pants for black skinny jeans and a navy blue, long sleeved shirt. I threw on a sweater and scarf over the top and pulled on the grey Vans. I readjusted the ties on my mask and strode over to the window. I lifted it open and peered outside. I couldn't see anyone, but someone could be standing on the front porch below. I decided to risk it.

I shoved my phone and keys into my back pocket and quietly slipped over the frosty window sill. I shivered in the cold air, my breath creating little white puffs of mist as I exhaled, and quietly closed the window behind me. I crept to the edge of the roof overhanging the front porch to listen for anyone that might be down there. After a moment I heard a soft muttering and the stamping of feet; one of the agents must have been having a smoke. I quietly picked my way along the roof towards the kitchen side of the house and onto the roof of the adjoining garage. I sneakily peered over the edge and saw Casse standing in the cold, smoking. I smirked; he was going to be pissed when he realised I was gone. I edged my way to the other side of the roof and out of sight and waited until he went inside. When he'd gone, I carefully lowered myself over the edge of the garage roof, letting go when my body was fully extended to land lightly on the balls of my feet. After a quick glance towards the front door to check that no one was watching, I bolted across the front yard, keeping low and close to the fence. I pressed the unlock button on my keys and practically leapt into the driver's seat. I winced as the car revved to life, worried that someone would hear. I quickly put the car in gear and drove away before anyone had time to stop me.

As I was nearing the end of the street I checked the rear view mirror to see if anyone had come after me. Seeing nothing but empty street made my heart soar. _Don't worry, Felix. _I thought determinedly, _I'm coming to save you._


	17. Chapter 14 Part 1 - Pewdie

_**Disclaimer**_

_Okay, I just want to clarify that all the YouTubers that make appearances in this (or any) of my fanfictions are not based on the real people. If any of said YouTubers happen upon any of my fanfictions, I apologise if they dislike the way I have portrayed them, or if they dislike the use of their real names. However, this is a _Fanfiction:_ A fanmade, fictional story with a central theme of one or more fandoms. The key word there is fiction. Every element of my fanfictions are 100% fictional, and I have never (and never will) claim that my characters reflect their real life counterparts, nor are their pasts or current lives reflective of what the real people have gone through. I apologise if I cause offence to any of you; I think you deserve the utmost respect for what you do. I admire all of you greatly, and I'll forever be grateful for all the difficult times you've gotten me through with you YouTube videos. There is no reason, however, to take offense to my writing, as none of it is based on the real you; everything I write is original._

_Thank you_

_~ Tom Flemming_

_**Author's Note**_

_Ah, now that the formalities are over and done with we can get down to business, huh? I've missed you guys. Sorry about the lack of updates lately, guys. I have been going through a really difficult period lately, and so I haven't had a lot of free time to write. And when I have had free time I haven't been in the right headspace to give you guys what you deserve; chapters written to the best of my abilities. However, school holidays have rolled around once again, and so I'll have a substantial amount of time on my hands over the next two weeks. I'm hoping to get quite a few chapters pumped out between now and then, and I hope you all enjoy what's coming._

_Also, Straycat113 I'm sorry! Hahaha I hope the amount of chapters I get out over the next two weeks make up for the delay :) I'm so glad you're enjoying my story, and I hope you like where it ends up! _

_I was also wondering, what are all of your opinions on a possible Skyrim story? I've been doing a little planning for one, and I wanted to get your opinions before I took it further. It wouldn't be started seriously until I finished writing Graveside, as two stories are quite enough for me to tackle at once._

_Anywho, I should probably get to the actual chapter. Enjoy. I love you all._

**Chapter 14**

**Pewdie's POV**

I groaned quietly as I awoke, head pounding. I cracked my disobedient lids open and looked around. I was lying on a cold stone floor and had been covered with a thin, grimy blanket. I shivered as I rolled onto my back, the freezing stone pressing against my bare torso. _Where had my shirt and jacket gone_? I wondered absently through the dull throb of plain periodically splitting my skull. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed softly. I tried to sit up and failed, falling back down as my vision swam. I took a few deep breaths and tried again, moving slowly and propping myself up on my elbows. It took a few seconds for the room to stop spinning before I could fully take in my surroundings. I squinted into the dimness, registering only fuzzy, black shapes. I slowly, carefully pushed myself into a fully sitting position. Why was my head so god damn sore? I lightly skimmed my fingers over my scalp, wincing when I found a huge egg just above my temple. I felt my fingernail catch on something and grimaced as warm liquid spilled over my fingers and along my jaw; I must have broken the scab. I peered at my bloody fingers, rather dazed and confused, and leaned forward to rest my head on my knees.

I'm not sure how long I sat like that, but eventually I crawled over to a wall and fell asleep propped up against it. When I woke once more I was surprised to find that I'd been swaddled in the grimy blanket again and, when I checked my head, found a crisp, fresh bandage wrapped around the wound. I frowned, wondering who could've done it as I rubbed my head absently. My head felt a lot clearer now, and the pain had dulled to a muted throbbing at the base of my skull. I shakily disentangled myself from the blanket and stood, pleased to find my head didn't spin at the movement. I rubbed the bleariness out of my eyes and looked around the room. It was a lot easier to focus now that I was feeling better, and my eyes soon alighted on a dodgy looking bed pushed into the corner of the small, dim space. I hobbled over to it, not trusting myself to move quickly, and tapped a bedpost with my foot. I jumped violently, sending my head reeling as the bed collapsed into itself in a cloud of dust and wood shavings. I coughed and waved the choking cloud away as I regained my balance. No wonder I'd been put on the floor. My hand flew to my side, ready to draw Pipé, and I panicked when I realised my makeshift belt was gone. I suddenly felt naked without it, disconcerted by the lack of weight in my palm. I stumbled away from the destroyed bed. There didn't seem to be anything else in the room apart from a small adjoining space with a foul smelling drop toilet. I screwed up my nose at the stench and pulled the rickety door closed, cutting off the fumes. I did a slow sweep of the walls, looking for another door or even a window. Finding nothing I sat down on the blanket in defeat. I have no idea how long I sat there for, but it was long enough for my butt to go to sleep. I shifted uncomfortably on my deadened flesh as I waited for something to happen. I pulled the thin blanket around my shoulders when I started to shiver, though it didn't do much to dispel the cold. Why was I even here? I wondered as the cold gnawed at my bones. I strained my mind, trying to remember the chain of events that led to my imprisonment in this dank room. I groaned as my headache worsened and I rubbed the still massive lump agitatedly. I was with Rose and Tyler, we were meant to escape and… And then it all went horribly wrong. My eyes widened and I was filled with shock as the memories came flooding back.

**Flashback.**

"We'll take the servant's exit through the lower wash rooms." Tyler said quickly as we strode down the halls of the underbelly of the hotel. "That will lead us back to the main hotel. We'll come out in the first floor kitchens." Worry creased my brow as I followed Rose and Tyler up winding corridors and steep stairwells. I was panting after a particularly long flight, and I was so focused on catching my breath that I didn't realise Tyler and Rose had stopped until I almost crashed into them. I jerked to a stop, almost over balancing and toppling backwards. I caught myself and cautiously peered around the pair to see why they'd stopped. My stomach dropped as I laid eyes on Theo and his father standing in the doorway at the end of the hall. On one hand, Theo's claws glistened in the flickering torch light, and in the other he held a long, curved knife. He spun the knife around casually between his fingers, his eyes hidden by his hair. His mouth was set in a tight frown. Edward had a smug grin plastered across his features. He stood slightly behind his son, and the shifting, dancing light from the torch sconces made him look demonic.

"Rose. Tyler. Helping the poor unfortunate escape. How quaint." Edward said, venom dripping from his words. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out that you were helping him?" Neither Rose nor Tyler answered him. Suddenly Rose hissed at me from the corner of her tight lipped mouth, barely loud enough to hear.

"Run."

I took a cautious step backwards as Edward continued his spiel. "I created you two – gave you power beyond your wildest dreams – and _this_ is how you repay me? Hah, well… we'll have to teach you what it truly the way." Theo stiffened at this, his knife twirling stopping abruptly.

"Is that really necessary, father?" He whispered curtly. Edward turned his evil smirk on his son.

"Of course it is, boy. We can't have them gallivanting around the place as if they can do whatever they please. It's not acceptable. They need to learn some respect." His voice was getting harsher and harsher as he went on. I'd backed up a good ten paces by this point, and he somehow hadn't noticed yet. All of a sudden Theo's head snapped up and he flicked his brown hair out of his face to look at me. I froze as our eyes met. We stared at each other for a few moments while his father continued to rant about respect and discipline. My face, I knew, was filled with fear, while his was filled with something unreadable. Was it… no, it couldn't be… guilt? Theo's eyes flicked from me to the open door behind me a couple of times until he was sure I got his meaning. I turned my head slightly to look at the doorway out of the corner of my eye; it was about twenty paces away, less if I ran. I shifted my gaze back to Theo. He gazed at me solemnly for a moment, and then turned to his father to murmur something. Edward's face contorted with rage at whatever Theo said. I jumped violently as he backhanded his son across the face, making him stagger back a few steps. Rose's feathers shivered and her skin rippled strangely. I barely ducked out of the way as her wings exploded from her back and she flung herself forward. A strong gust of air rippled over me, knocking me back a step. I blinked confusedly as Tyler disappeared in the blink of an eye, only to appear behind Edward as Rose barrelled into Theo. I turned and bolted for the door behind me as Tyler appeared behind Edward, fist raised to strike him down. I swept through the open doorway and flew down the halls.

I paused at the top of some stairs, breathing hard. I wiped the light sheen of sweat from my brow and looked behind me, listening for signs of pursuit. When I was sure no one was coming, I leaned heavily against the wall to calm my breathing. The hall was eerily quiet without the echoes of my footsteps and laboured breathing. I pushed myself away from the wall, about to move on, when suddenly the air was split by a skull-cracking shriek. I cried out in pain and collapsed to my knees as if I'd been physically hit. Tears sprang, unbidden, to my eyes and I clutched at my head as the sound seared its way through my being. It was mere seconds before my body gave in to the debilitating sound and I fell forward, my head cracking painfully on the stones and knocking me unconscious as I tumbled down the stairwell.

**End Flashback.**

I lightly touched the bandage wrapped around my head, wincing as my fingers brushed the wound. _Where were Rose and Tyler? _I thought suddenly. I shakily got to my feet and looked around the dim room once more, desperately searching for a door. I did another slow sweep of the walls. Finding nothing I slumped against a wall, resting my head on the damp wood. I sat there for quite a while, panic slowly creeping up inside of me, threatening to take over. Eventually I drifted into an uneasy slumber.

I've never been fully sure of how long I spent in the dank room. Cry tells me it would've been about five days or so. It felt like longer. Persons unknown left food for me while I slept, taking the emptied platters away in the same manner. I lost all sense of time as the hours crept by, never sure if it was day or night. A few times I was sure I was hallucinating. I'd be sitting there, slouched in a corner or simply curled up on the floor, and suddenly Ryan would appear. At first I would frantically beg him to leave, to escape. But after the first few visits I welcomed the company, letting him trace little circles on my forehead and whisper soothing words in my ear.

It would have been about a week since I'd first been abducted, and I was leaning groggily against a wall. I gazed groggily at the empty bowl of stew sitting on a tray a meter or so away from me. I rested my head carefully against the wall, leaning further into the corner and pulling the blanket up around my chin. The room stunk. It had been days since I'd bathed and now the odorous stench of stale sweat and human waste hung in the air despite my best efforts to dispel the latter by keeping the door to the latrine closed at all times. I shivered against the damp, feeling myself drifting off again. I had been sleeping a lot since being trapped here; there hadn't been much else to do. If I wasn't sleeping I was exercising; doing push ups, sit ups. Even laps of my tiny prison. And if I found myself at a loss for things to do – if I was too tired to run but not tired enough to sleep – I would converse with my Not-Cry phantom. I knew whenever he appeared that I was going mad, but I didn't care.

My eyes drooped closed and I was almost asleep when light suddenly flooded the small room, jolting me awake. I looked up to see light streaming through a small rectangle in the wall I was leaning on. A shadow partially covered the light, shifting from side to side. It took a moment for my addled brain to realise they were looking for me. I heard a jingle of keys and the creaking of a lock before the door swung open towards me. I stayed pressed into the corner, unsure of who might be entering; I'd never actually seen anyone enter or exit my cell.

A mousy brown head popped around the door, glancing around the room before focusing on me.

"Felix." Theo murmured. "Are you awake?" I pushed myself to my feet, waving Theo away when he tried to help me.

"I am capable of standing on my own." I said bitterly. Guilt flickered across Theo's face and he turned to leave, beckoning for me to follow.

"Father has asked me to retrieve you. He has need of you." He said, his voice void of emotion. I scoffed and hobbled into the hallway, squinting against the light streaming in through the windows. It looked like morning.

"What day is it?" I asked as my eyes adjusted from the dimness of the cell.

"It's Saturday morning." He replied shortly, striding off down the hall.

"What? I've been missing for a _week_?" I gasped incredulously. Theo ignored me, instead pulling a pair of FlexiCuffs from his coat pocket.

"Turn around." I looked around the narrow hallway and, seeing no other option, did as he asked. He looped the cuffs around my wrists and pulled them closed. I was grateful to find that he hadn't pulled them quite as tight as Tyler had when he'd abducted me.

"Where are Tyler and Rose?" I asked as Theo guided me down the hall.

"In cells such as yours." He replied. I was surprised by his straight answer. "Father is very… displeased with them."

I snickered bitterly.

Theo ignored me some more.

As he led me back underground and through unfamiliar halls I marvelled at how big the place really was. It was three stories on the outside, and it had a whole castle built beneath it. I was sure there were at least four storeys underground. Eventually we came to the dining hall I'd first met Rose in and I recognised where we were.

"Are we going back to that torture room?" I asked nervously, struggling to sound confident. Theo chuckled at the name I'd given it.

"We are. Father has some tests to run." He replied. I swallowed anxiously, droplets of sweat forming on my brow as I recalled the instruments on the wall. I wondered how Rose and Tyler were doing, and what had happened to them. When we reached the door my mind turned to Ryan. I prayed that he was okay, and not worrying about me. I knew I'd escape eventually and get back to him. I had to. Theo knocked once on the wooden door and his father called for us to enter. He pushed the door open, a pained expression on his face, and lightly shoved me through the threshold. I strode into the room, scowling at the floor and trying to steel myself for what might be coming. I looked up and my anger drained away to be replaced by shock and horror.

Lying unconscious on the now-clean table was a figure bound in ropes and cloth. His white, ceramic mask glinted in the torchlight, sullied by blood smeared across its forehead. My stomach plummeted and I tasted bile. They had him.

They had Ryan.


	18. Chapter 14 Part 2 - Cry

_**Author's Note**_

_So, I underestimated how busy my holidays were going to be. Ugh. I obviously haven't got as much writing done as I'd have liked; I was hoping to have another two chapters out by now. But oh well! Hopefully I'll get the ball rolling from here (though I still have to do my holiday homework. Bleugh). _

_I've decided that until/if I start getting too many followers to keep up with each chapter, I'm going to start saying hi to people :p Soo welcome to PaleWhiteAngel, bircado, asylum regular, .die, Discrete Disguise, CuteLilHufflebadger, refuset0sink1013 and GrapeVineOfAwesome :) I hope you all enjoy the coming chapters. _

_Phew, there were more of you than I thought there was. Welcome back to everyone else! Also, bircado your reviews are far from annoying :) it put a smile on my dial to see you enjoying the story so much! And GrapeVineOfAwesome, YES you picked up on it XD I was waiting for someone to notice. Hells yeeh I'm a Doctor Who fan; so much awesomeness._

_One more point of interest, I decided to just go ahead and start that Skyrim fanfiction. I've been itching to do it, and I've already got two chapters written up, so if you're into TES, go check it out :)_

_Ah, I missed you guys. I always do when I'm not writing. I often feel like you guys are around me, supporting me while I write chapters ^.^ It's nice. (I'm not crazy… don't judge me.) Anyway! On to the chapter :) I hope you guys enjoy it. I love you._

**Cry's POV**

I peered out the car window at the eerie forest as I pulled up at the hotel's address. There didn't seem to be any way into the forest aside from a narrow path through a hole in the wooden fence. I cut the car's engine and stepped out into the chill air. My breath made white puffs of fog as I exhaled; my cheeks went pink and splotchy from the transition from the heated car to the cold climate. After a moment's contemplation I reached into the backseat to grab the woollen beanie and gloves I'd left there a few days ago. I pulled the gloves on over my quickly numbing fingers and quickly yanked the beanie onto my head, shutting and locking the car before striding determinedly towards the forest path.

Frozen shoots of grass crunched under my shoes as I walked up the packed dirt path. A light mist had settled over the landscape as I made my way along, and it lent the forest an unsettling, foreboding quality. As it was it'd already been pretty spooky; the trees stretched high above me to lean over the path, blocking out much of the sun. I hugged my scarf tighter around my neck and pulled my beanie further down over my ears to fend off the increasing chill. It felt as if it were getting colder the deeper I went into the looming forest. I looked back to see how far I'd come, and had been – admittedly – quite alarmed to find that I could see no more than twenty feet behind me.

I hurried onwards, becoming worried that I'd pulled up at the wrong place, but not wanting to turn back. I had to find Felix. He was out there, somewhere in the fog; I just knew it. So I kept walking. Eventually I found it. The huge hotel loomed up suddenly from the fog, and I stopped as soon as I saw it. I back away a little, until it was barely visible, and moved around to the left of it; there was no way I was just going to waltz up to the front door. I ventured closer to the left side of the building, being careful to stay under the cover of the mist and shadows. When I reached the building, I walked briskly along it, towards the back, looking for any door or open windows. Finding none, I was about to take a look around the back when I looked up to find a ladder nailed to the outside wall of the hotel. I frowned; why in the hell would someone nail a ladder to the outside of a building? Dismissing the niggling sense of self-doubt and fear rising in my gut, I stepped a few feet back from the wall. Taking a short run-up, I jumped and grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder, kicking off the wall for extra height. I heaved myself up the ladder, which hung about ten feet up from the ground, until my feet were on the bottom rung. I scaled it hastily, feeling quite exposed, and was grateful to find that the window it led to was unlocked. I quietly pushed it open and dropped to the carpeted floor.

I looked around the interior of the hotel as I carefully pushed the window closed. I'd come in on the third floor, and could see a stairwell leading down at the end of the hall in front of me. I was crouched in a different hall that stretched away in both directions. I bit my lip nervously, wondering if I should check out this floor before moving on. Deciding that it would take too much time and be too risky to search the rest of the hotel only to find that he was on this floor after all, I strode quietly down the hall to my left.

Every door along its length was unlocked, but empty. Frustration and anxiety were building up inside of me as my search proved fruitless; he wasn't on this floor. I made my way back to ladder window and walked to the staircase. I was just about to descend it when I heard voices below. Panic caused my limbs to seize up momentarily, and then I was shooting off the way I came. My shoes thumped almost silently on the thick red carpet as I ran down the hall, almost slipping as I rounded the corner and bolted towards a random door. It took all the self-control I had not to reflexively slam it shut behind me. Bright light streamed in through a single window on the right hand wall, an extravagant four poster bed with a rich green duvet stood beside it in the corner. The only other furniture in the room was a closet, a wardrobe and a small bedside table. I took a moment to calm my rattled nerves as I took in my surroundings, working on slowing my ragged breathing.

Once I'd calmed myself, I crept back to the door to listen. The voices were getting closer, and I could now hear muffled footsteps as they came towards the room I was hiding in. I took a deep breath and backed away from the door; if they came in I'd need room to fight them off. I took up the defensive stance I'd learned in boxing a year earlier and ran through punching and dodging techniques in my mind as I centred myself and waited for the worst.

The doorknob rattled and the voices were louder than ever. Then the large wooden door swung inward, and a man entered to meet my fist. The impact threw him backward into the man behind him. The one I'd hit was about my age, with mousy brown hair. I gathered myself and kicked him in the stomach, hard. He and the older man behind him were sent sprawling backwards to land heavily in the hall. I leaped over their sprawled forms and took off down the hall, towards the stairs. As I took of it registered in my racing mind that he'd been wearing a Golden Wings College blazer. Dismissing the thought for the time being I kept running. I heard the men shouting after me as I ran, which only urged me to pick up speed.

I bolted down the stairs and ran down a random hallway on the second floor. Footsteps thumped on the carpet teen feet behind as the younger man pursued me. I bolted down hallways, trying desperately to lose him, but to no avail. I turned left into another hall and I heard the man cry out in triumph. I was puzzled as to why until I saw that I was barrelling towards a dead end. I skidded to a halt in front of the closed door at the end of the hall and wrenched at the handle, but it wouldn't budge. The man behind me slammed into me, knocking the wind from my lungs as I was crushed against the door. I fell to my hands and knees, struggling to regain my breath, and the man kicked me hard in the ribs. I cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor, desperately trying to protect myself as my attacker launched more kicks at my ribs and head.

Suddenly a voice echoed down the hall, telling the man – who was called Theo – to stop. The other man I'd knocked over stalked towards us, and Theo hung his head and stepped away from me. The man looked completely calm as he approached, but his face contorted with rage as he suddenly back handed Theo across the face.

"You idiot boy." He snarled. "Do you not realise who that is?" Theo rubbed his cheek tenderly and hung his head, shamefaced. "It's Cry." The man continued, and Theo's eyes widened. He scrambled to apologise, but the man merely put up his hand to silence him. He then crouched before me to stare me right in the mask. He looked me over for a few moments before rising once more. Suddenly he produced a mechanical object from his coat pocket. He looked at it for a moment, then pressed a button on the side which made it extend to almost three feet long. It now had two prongs on the end of it and, at the touch of another button, they sparked with electricity. My eyes widened and I scrambled away from the buzzing device, desperately trying to get away from it. The man smirked evilly at me then casually swung it towards me. I gasped with fright and pressed myself into the closed door at my back. He laughed maniacally and, without warning, jabbed the prongs into my stomach. My body was immediately beset by debilitating jolts of electricity. My muscles spasmed and my eyesight wobbled and dimmed dangerously. As I faded out of conscious, I was dimly aware of the man ordering Theo to go and fetch someone…

Did he say… Felix?


	19. Quick Notice and Apology

_**Author's Note**_

_I'm sorry for how long it's taken me to get a chapter up. I have been so sick over the last seven days. It's like the flu or something; some mornings I've woken up and my body was aching so bad I could barely move._

_Speaking of moving… I've also been packing up my house to move recently! So I've been sick and moving house. It's been fun *dies* I'm moving house this weekend, and I'll be there to stay on Saturday night :) One bad thing that comes from that though is I'm not going to have internet for two weeks… So I won't be able to upload anything for a while. I know, it sucks and I'm sorry. But there's nothing I can do. I'll still be writing while I don't have internet, so I'll be able to just upload whatever I've gotten done when I have the internet back._

_It's been a hectic week. I'm also having a lot of trouble with my family about me being transgender too. I want to come out of the closet and be me. But mum is having a hard time dealing with it, and dad won't even acknowledge that I told him. Ugh._

_So yeah. I'm sorry again, but I won't have any more chapters up in a while. I'm too sick and too busy. Sorry bros. I love you and I hope you will forgive me :p love you._


	20. Chapter 15 Part 1 - Cry

_**Author's Note**_

_So it was more like two months instead of two weeks… but I'm back now! Hi :) I'm sorry I left it on such a big cliff hanger! I really thought I was only going to be gone for two weeks. It's all good bros, I'm back now. I'm sick again, which is a shit, but I'm coping. I'm also still as busy as I was. It's getting close to year 12 exams, so I've been forced to focus more of my time on school. Honestly I wish I could just drop out. I hate school. But it would be pointless to drop out now, as there's only a couple more months to go._

_Anywho, I hope you like this chapter everyone. Grab a bite to eat, maybe some tea and enjoy! And please don't hate me at the end :3 Bye! _

**Chapter 15**

**Cry's POV**

My eyelids fluttered open and pain split my skull as the world slowly came back into focus. My arms were pinned awkwardly to my sides and I had a gag tied around my mouth. I was dimly aware of voices nearby, and the cold porcelain of my mask pinching my cheek. My eyes slowly focused on the room surrounding me, and I groaned as pain made my ears ring from the effort. The voices grew louder and clearer as my brain made its slow way into reality.

"…him down, Theo. We don't want him hurting himself." The man who'd shocked me was saying. I heard muffled screams of rage and the sound of a struggle from the other side of the room. My eyes finally focused and I saw Theo wrestling a man onto a table fitted with leather straps. It seemed to be the man who was screaming; he was certainly putting up a good fight. I craned my neck, curious as to his identity, but Theo was blocking my view. After a few minutes Theo had the man strapped tightly onto the table. He turned to the other man, still blocking my view, and asked him what he should do with me. He called him father… The man simply waved his hand, telling him to leave me where I was for now; it wasn't like I could go anywhere. I was bound in a white sheet, tied with ropes around my shoulders, waist, hips, knees and ankles. There was no way I was going anywhere.

I laid my head back down on the table, my neck beginning to cramp, while Theo and his father conversed. They spoke in hushed tones, barely audible from across the room. I groaned as pain lanced through me again. The two men turned to me, going silent, as I trembled, pain causing sweat to break out on my forehead. I felt like I'd been hit by steamroller. As my head spun I vaguely noticed the man nod to Theo, causing him to turn on his heel and stride towards me. I watched helplessly as he roughly jerked me into a sitting position by the uppermost binding around my shoulders. My vision splintered and blood pounded in my ears as I struggled to stay conscious. I heard the man chuckle evilly before Theo roughly heaved me off the table, allowing me to land heavily on the stone floor, and dragged me over to a chair opposite the table where the other man was strapped down.

I sat limp and defeated, my whole body plagued by hurt, as Theo slowly strapped me into the chair; he'd unwind one level of my binding and then secure the next level of restraint on the chair until I was once again immobilised. When he was done Theo moved away from me to stand behind what seemed to be a control panel of some kind. With a few presses of buttons and the flip of a switch my chair gently leaned back and stretched out – like a dentist's chair – until I was fully reclined. The steel chair was icy cold, even through my shirt. I slowly raised my head to look across the room at the other man. He was still standing before the other man, still blocking my view. I rolled my jaw against the gag in my mouth, trying to prevent the cramp I felt building up. _Who are these people? _I wondered angrily. _What did they want with me, and where was Felix?_

…

…

It didn't once occur to my pain-hazed mind that the man tied down across the room could be my Felix… In retrospect it was stupid of me not to realise, but hey, you try getting stabbed with a cattle prod and still put things together coherently.

…

…

Theo sauntered over to me and pushed my head back down onto the head rest surprisingly gently. I glared up at him, but he wasn't looking at me. The other man – his father – joined him at my side and reached towards my face. Panic seized my chest as I realised he was going for my mask. All of my pain was forgotten as adrenaline shot through my veins. I wrenched against my bindings, whipping my head away from him. He chuckled his evil chuckle and wrenched my head back to face him. Despite my struggles, I couldn't move, and the man's searching hands promptly found the ties to my mask and slipped the comforting ceramic from my face. I glared vehemently at him as he laid my mask on a small surgical trolley to the left of him and turned back to me. He took my face in his hands and turned it slowly, examining me from all angles as I glowered at him.

"So… this is Cry." He muttered, totally ignoring my simmering rage. "Rather… unimpressive, wouldn't you agree, Theo?" He continued, glancing at his son.

"Rather so, father." Theo replied evenly. His facial expression inscrutable, his stance impassive.

"Secure his head." The man said, snapping his fingers and walking away. Wordlessly Theo secured a leather strap over my forehead and strode towards the door. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the older man filling a syringe with clear liquid. I struggled to get away but there was no use. I winced as the needle pricked my skin, sending the liquid rushing through my veins. The man dropped the needle into a waste bin and followed Theo to the door and left. Soon the only sound was mine and my fellow prisoner's ragged breathing. My eyelids were quickly growing heavy and, despite my struggles, I promptly fell into an uneasy, drug-induced sleep.

…

…

I opened my eyes to find myself in a creepy-looking, darkened hospital room. I was still sitting in the metal chair, but I was no longer strapped down. I held my arm up to light to look for the tiny hole left by the needle, but there was nothing there. I frowned as my thumb swept across smooth, unbroken skin, and I warily stood and crept towards the open door.

When I reached the threshold I realised that the door hadn't just been opened, it was blown off its hinges. Splinters of singed wood lay scattered in the hallway outside. I peered down the hallway and, seeing nothing but mould and broken medical equipment, I ventured out.

As I walked through the dingy hallways I started to hear whispers. They were barely audible and I couldn't understand them, but they seemed to be coming from both everywhere and nowhere. Getting nervous, I started to try the doors that lined the halls. All were locked.

I sighed in exasperation and fear and slammed a fist against yet another locked door. It felt like I'd been wandering these halls forever and I was getting nowhere; even the whispers didn't seem threatening anymore. Just as I was about to move on an unearthly screech split the silence like a bursting balloon. I started violently, felt a sharp pain in my chest as my heart sped up, and whipped my head around the hall in an attempt to locate the danger. The screech ran out again, further up the hall. This time it almost sounded like a word… I didn't understand it but I felt a sudden compulsion to find it. I took off down the hall, following the screeching sound as it got clearer and clearer. Finally, just as I was beginning to figure out what they were saying, I burst into a large, dank surgery room. The upper half of the walls were lined with one way glass, and there was a stainless steel bed in the centre of the floor.

I was in an operating theatre.

My eyes focused on the operating table of their own accord. Two people had appeared there; one was strapped to the table, the other stood over him menacingly. The screech rang out again, echoing around the room. Only it wasn't screech this time, it was single word spoken in a voice I knew well. My eyes widened in shock and ran towards the man on the table as he called my name.

"Cry…"

…

…

"Cry." Called a voice.

I groaned hoarsely, shedding the last remnants of my dream.

"Cry! Hey…"

I moaned again, louder this time, as I was pulled back into reality. I panicked momentarily, forgetting where I was; though remembrance didn't exactly make me feel secure.

"Cry, hey. You're awake. It's okay, I'm here." I tried to lift my head, but found I was still pinned down by the straps. I desperately tried to work the gag out of my mouth; I needed to know that my fuddled mind wasn't just playing tricks on me, that it was really…

"Cry, can you talk?" I wrenched my arms against the straps and yelled through the gag, only a muffled cry was audible.

"Thank God you're okay. I've been worrying myself sick… Not that either of us are in a very good position here… Anyway, can you move?" I was almost angry; like I'd still be lying here if I could move. I grunted a negative, trying once again to escape my restraints – more for emphasis than anything else.

"I didn't think so…" He trailed of for a few moments before speaking up again. "I'm so glad you're here… Though I'd give anything for you to be anywhere else. I've been going mad without you, Cry... Really, I have." My eyes welled up with tears as my mind was rushed with things I wished I could say. A part of me couldn't – didn't want to – believe that it was Felix speaking to me right now. I wished he could be out of here. I'd have given just as much as him to have him sitting at home, comfortable and safe. Even if I were to be killed… I'd gladly have given my life if it meant he could be safe. Unable to say any of this, I just grunted in acknowledgement.

"I wish you speak to me… So I could know you're okay." Felix continued sadly. A single tear ran along my temple and into my hairline. I closed my eyes against the tears, determined not to cry.

I jumped violently when the door was suddenly flung open and Theo and his father walked in.

"Ah, you're both awake. Good." Theo's father clapped his hands almost gleefully and strode to the other side of the room to retrieve two lab coats from the far wall. He threw one to Theo who promptly put it on.

"Brosamond." Felix growled bitterly. "You let Cry go _now_ or I swear I'll-"

"You'll what? Kill me? Ha, that's rich coming from someone who's currently a little tied up." Brosamond replied almost too evenly. "Theo, put his gag back on." I heard Felix struggle as Theo once again silenced him. Brosamond joined his son by Felix's table.

"So have you figured it out yet, Felix?" He sneered. "Why I've brought you here? Despite my best efforts I couldn't get anything out of Rose and Tyler, so I don't know how much you know. Though I suppose you'll soon find out." I heard a snapping of rubber as Brosamond strode over to me. He was wearing latex gloves now – that must have been the snapping I heard – and was messing around with the machines and equipment surrounding me. I was surprised when I heard the machines whirr to life, and a standing lamp that could be manipulated to hang over my chair was turned on, the light almost blinding after the flickering torchlight. _If they have electricity here, why use all the torches?_ I wondered, quite puzzled.

"Now, Cry." Brosamond said, straightening a set of monitors and pulling a surgical mask over his mouth and nose. "You have something we need. In fact, you _are_ something we need. So is Felix, to a much lesser extent." He and Theo were moving around me, cutting off my clothing until I was stripped down to my briefs. The steel was even colder against my bare skin. I hadn't noticed it with my clothes on, or when I was strapped in, but I could feel about two dozen circular holes in the chair, about an inch each in diameter. I could feel cool air brushing against my skin where it was exposed. My captors then started attaching electrode patches to different parts of my body; my temples, biceps, shoulders, chest, stomach, and thighs. They also clipped a pulse oximeter to my finger, which confused me. Pulse oximeters were used to monitor how much oxygen is in a person's blood during surgery and recovery in hospitals. I started to panic as I wondered what they were going to do to me.

"First thing's first." Brosamond muttered, revealing a large syringe from a tray beside him. "Theo, raise the chair." Theo obeyed, manipulating the chair until I was upright, but still laid out almost flat. I felt something cold and wet dabbing my skin through one of the holes. My eyes widened as I realised what was about to happen, and I started struggling against my bindings. Theo quickly moved over and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't panic, Cry. You'll only break the needle and get it lodged in your spine of you struggle like this." He murmured comfortingly through his surgical mask, too quietly for his father to hear. I looked down at him from my elevated position, fear written across my face. "If you stay still and calm this will go a lot more smoothly, trust me." He added. I wasn't sure what his motives were for trying to calm me down, but I held still and waited. I cried out in pain as the needle broke the skin and plunged into my back. It seemed like forever before it was finally removed and a piece of cotton was placed over the puncture and secured with medical tape. I was lowered back down until I was horizontal again. I could hear Felix yelling through his gag, and I was sure was cursing. The thought was somehow comforting despite what was happening; it settled my nerves somewhat. I felt crazy for being calm, it was almost enough to make me giggle. I held back the insane urge as Brosamond did something with whatever he'd taken from my body with the needle.

I watched from the corner of my eye as he injected a small portion of the… stuff into a little vial, and then attached it to something on the machine the monitors were linked to. Brosamond typed something into the keyboard and the monitors flickered with information. I had no idea what any of it was, as I couldn't see it properly, but Brosamond looked pleased. After a few minutes the machine beeped and a green light flashed on. Brosamond cried out in triumph, all but pumping his arm the air.

"I assume he has it then?" Theo asked.

"That he does, son." He turned the monitors to face me and undid the strap holding my head in place. "Look, Cry. Look what you have brought us. After years of searching we finally found another like you..." He trailed off, his face blissful. I stared at the screens confusedly. There was an image of two strands of DNA, mine I assumed, but they didn't look right. I frowned and quickly scanned the monitor. There was some sort of… anomaly in one strand of my DNA.

"And the pieces come together." Theo smirked, noting my realisation. Brosamond put up a hand to silence him.

"You have the mutated chromosome, Cry. It holds a very important gene. The Metagene." My confusion only grew as Brosamond explained, pointing to the anomaly on the screen. "There aren't a lot of people in the world with this gene. It is very difficult to come by. However, it has the ability to change the human body in situations of great danger and stress. In other words, it is the reason some people seem to have super powers after certain… strenuous ordeals. In many places the public discovery of the Metagene has incited fear among citizens, driving them to believe that it is the reason alien abductions occur, that they're trying weaponise the gene." He laughed at the absurdity of the notion. "They are fools. The Metagene is the key to making humanity great." His elated expression sobered somewhat as he continued. "However it is… difficult to merge the gene with the DNA of those that were not born with it." Brosamond fell silent for a little while, moving away from me to pace around the room. "You see, the way the Metagene works is that it takes over and manipulates the rest of your DNA, changes your genetic makeup, thus giving you 'super powers'. Due to the changing nature of the gene, it is difficult to tell whether it will have a positive or… negative effect on the patient. So far we haven't been overly successful in integrating the Metagene in test subjects. We've had a mere four successes in the past one hundred years. We've also only had three patients that actually _have_ the gene already in their DNA. A hundred years and only _three people._ Can you imagine how frustrating would be, Cry? To search and search and try and try for so long to come up with so little. Can you guess how many patients we've gone through here, trying to integrate the Metagene?" He didn't pause for a response. "The authorities found fourteen… If they dug deeper they'd have found a lot more. It took a long time, and a lot of trials, to initially integrate the Metagene into a normal patient. Many died. That means little however, in the big picture." Brosamond paused his monologue and turned back to the monitors.

He started to type something in, paused and strode across the room to a cupboard stretching from floor to ceiling. He pulled a large, old looking key from his pocket and removed the hefty padlock guarding the doors, opening them to reveal crisp, white light. I watched in utter confusion as Brosamond opened the concealed, glass doored refrigerator and rummaged through its contents.

The dungeon set up they had down here, and even the medieval hotel upstairs, seemed rather ridiculous and pretentious now. If they'd refitted the old hotel with lights and such it wouldn't have seemed so snobby, but they were still using torches – and not the electric kind. It seemed almost pompous that, aside from the equipment I was seeing now, they treated the place like it was still the 1800s. It was all for show.

Brosamond closed the fridge and strode back towards me. He had a tray stacked with petri dishes in his hands, I heard him place the tray on a bench behind me.

"You see, Cry." He continued. "We need to conduct these… tests on you and your partner for the benefit of all of humanity. It would be selfish to keep your gifts to yourself, don't you think?" Theo raised the chair again so I was upright as his father went on. "We're going to perform some experiments on your sample now. Just relax… It won't be too long."

…

…

It took around an hour for Brosamond and Theo to complete their tests. Brosamond looked quite pleased when he stepped back into my line of sight.

"I have good news, Cry." He proclaimed elatedly. "Your samples have integrated seamlessly with the prototype DNA." I stared at him incredulously; as if he actually expected me to be happy for him. He took hold of the machine that held my sample and wheeled it over to Felix's table. He pressed a few keys, still grinning like a fool, and strode back over to me.

"Now, Cry. I need to take a fresh sample of your DNA. I've found that if it isn't fresh it doesn't integrate as effectively." With a quick, cold swab the needle was plunging into my spine again. I grimaced and tried to stay still while he took my sample. He replaced the medical tape and marched back to his machine. He inserted the sample into it the same way he did before and started typing furiously.

"Fear not, young Felix. After we've extracted the Metagene from Cry's DNA it will be ready to integrate into your system." After about a quarter of an hour – in which Felix's heart rate had picked up significantly – Brosamond extracted what must have been the gene from his machine into another syringe. He set it down on an adjacent bench and set about hooking Felix up to all manner of medical apparatus with Theo's assistance. He attached electrode patches and a pulse oximeter just as he did to me, then he switched on a heart rate monitor. A steady beeping sound filled the room as the machine synced to Felix's heartbeat. The beeping picked up a little as Theo inserted an IV drip into his arm, quickly returning to normal.

At his father's instruction Theo unlocked two panels at the side of the table and flicked a switch. A whirring mechanism lifted the slab Felix was on until it sat at a 30 degree angle. The adjustment left a section of his lower back exposed. Brosamond swabbed Felix's skin as he had mine and raised the needle to his spine. The heart rate monitor was beeping loud and fast as Brosamond injected the organic matter into Felix's spine. As soon as the needle had been removed Theo covered the puncture mark and flipped the switch to lower the table. He then checked the restraints and murmured something to my boyfriend. I couldn't help but narrow my eyes jealously. I knew there was absolutely no romantic element to any part of this situation, but something about how close Theo was leaning to Felix's ear set off a chemical reaction in my brain. I felt my nostrils flare in anger as Theo straightened and joined his father at his machine.

"It will take some time for the gene to fuse and integrate into your DNA. You may feel slight discomfort, but don't be worried; I am confident that you will come out of it in one piece." Brosamond stated as he typed into his keyboard. Theo didn't look so confident. He was glancing between Felix and me, an anxious look on his face. After a few minutes he started whispering to his father. Fragments of their conversation reached my straining ears.

"…if there's a negative reaction?" Theo asked anxiously.

"Then he will die…"

"…Cry is quite…"

"…he will cooperate…"

"…saw him in his living room…insane.."

"…will control him…"

It took me a moment to realise what they meant by my living room. I remembered the way I'd flipped out at the FBI agents, knocking over their whiteboard and almost breaking the coffee table. I winced at the memory; I don't know what came over me but it was like I couldn't control my actions. I was an outsider watching an alternate version of myself. I pushed the unpleasant thought from my mind and focused on the rest of what I picked up. My heart constricted painfully in my chest at the thought of Felix dying. I couldn't lose him twice.

As that thought ran through my mind Felix suddenly cried out in pain, arching his back against the restraints and clenching his fists. I screamed his name against my gag, wrenching at my own entrapments. Theo started at the sudden commotion, and looked at Felix nervously. Brosamond ignored all of us.

It wasn't long before Brosamond ceased his typing and wheeled the machine back over to me. Theo gingerly followed him, wincing at every pain-filled sound echoing across the room. He obediently followed his father's instructions, hooking me up to a drip of my own and setting up various other pieces of equipment. I kept a steady scowl aimed in his direction the entire time; how could he stand idly by while his father tortured my Felix? Theo avoided my gaze.

Brosamond produced another syringe from his machine. This one was filled with reddish matter. I was prepared for the pain of the needle this time, but I wasn't prepared for the aftermath.

It felt as if my spine had turned into molten lava, and couldn't help but scream as the liquid made its way into my bloodstream. Fire seared in my veins as it pumped its way through my body, roaring in my ears so loudly it blotted out everything else. My eyes were blurring and my vision was turning red as the fire reached my heart. I felt like I was going to combust as it passed through my heart and back around my body.

My universe retreated until it contained nothing but agony.

It felt like an eternity before the pain finally receded and everything turned black and cold.

I embraced the cold and let myself sink into nothingness.


	21. I'm doing some editing!

_**Author's Note**_

_Hey bros. Just letting you know that I'm going to be doing some editing over the next few days or however long it takes me. Honestly, it shouldn't be too long. I'm pretty confident I'll get this done when I actually plan to :p_

_Anyway. You guys should probably re-read the story once I'm done, as I'll be changing some character names and some bits and pieces of the plot. I don't think it'll be anything really major, but I'd recommend reading it anyway. You never know what's going to happen when I'm doing the changing - I sometimes get carried away hehe._

_I hope you guys enjoy the changes I make. It'll mostly be grammatical fixes and bumping up the fluency. Meh. I love you guys! Bye!_


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